Burma's military rulers have ordered pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu
Kyi to serve another 18 months under house arrest for violating an internal
security law.
The move would prevent the 64-year old Burmese opposition chief from taking
part in elections next year if she serves her full sentence.
A court in Rangoon's Insein prison initially sentenced Aung San Suu Kyi Tuesday
to three years in prison with hard labor for allowing an American to stay at
her home in May while she was under house arrest.
But, Burma's home affairs minister (Maung Oo) entered the court and said
the country's leader, General Tan Shwe, had commuted the sentence to 18 months
of house arrest.
Authorities later drove Aung San Suu Kyi back to her Rangoon home to serve her
term. She had been detained at the prison during her trial. The Nobel peace
prize laureate already has spent 14 of the past 20 years in detention, mostly
under house arrest.