Britain and France have called for a global arms and economic embargo on Myanmar after pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to an additional 18 months house arrest. A court in Yangon convicted the Nobel peace laureate of breaching the terms of her confinement after an American national swam uninvited to her lakeside home in May. John Yettaw was handed a seven year sentence, four with hard labour.

Suu Kyi has already spent 14 of the last 20 years in detention in the country formally known as Burma. The European Union condemned the move and vowed to toughen up its sanctions against the ruling junta. Sweden currently holds the EU presidency and Prime Minister Frederik Reinfeldt vowed a strong response: “The EU condemns this inappropriate decision and we will now take up sanctions towards those involved in the decision making process.” International scorn has poured down on Myanmar, with critics accusing the country’s military leadership of trying to silence her ahead of next year’s election.More about: Aung San Suu Kyi, Human Rights, Myanmar

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