While the international community was outraged by the extended 18-month house arrest sentence handed down to Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, bloggers regarded the punishment meted out with a sense of resignation.

Suu Kyi, 64, was convicted yesterday to three years of hard labour for violating terms of her house arrest for allegedly harbouring American John Yettaw. However, the 18-month house arrest reduced sentence was handed down immediately. She has been under house arrest for 14 of the last 20 years. 

Ashby Jones at the Wall Street Journal Law Blog said that the sense of hope the international community felt that Suu Kyi would be let off lightly came from "somewhere, in a tiny little place inside us which glows with naive but unbridled optimism". 

The blogger also wrote that the prolonged term would mean Suu Kyi would be unable to run in the 2010 parliamentary elections in the country. "Many have said the the case against her was ginned up in order to keep her from participating in the election," Jones added.

Blogger Newly however said that the reduced sentence given in an apparent show of clemency was actually a shrewd political move on the part of the ruling military junta.

"Myanmar’s government, which has faced unwanted scrutiny since Yettaw’s strange activities in May, can now argue that they’ve treated Suu Kyi with leniency," wrote the Bangkok-based freelance journalist, adding that many felt Suu Kyi should not have been arrested in the first place.

Paul Burgin from the United Kingdom chipped in that regardless of whether Suu Kyi was allowed to run in elections or not, her presence would still be felt. Burgin added that the junta would do well to release her, heeding the call of the international community and the Burmese.

Alex Wagner, contributor to the Politics Daily blog, wrote that while it was encouraging that world leaders have come out to criticise the sentencing, these same responses from the international community have been recycled for years. 

"It goes something like this: Burma commits flagrant violation of human rights, world leaders condemn the action, Burmese go on with business as usual."

The writer added that the junta has historically turned deaf ears to the pleas, and this time may prove no different.

Gillian Townsley, who thought the extended sentence was one of "the weirdest stories out there", jokingly drew parallels between Suu Kyi and the Maori legend of Hinemoa and Tutanekai, but added that this fairy-tale rescue did not end happily ever after.

Blogger Michael J.W. Stickings was more cynical about the outcome, saying that he was sure the trial Suu Kyi faced was "the fairest of fair trials". The blogger emphasised the point that the country could be called 'Burma' and not 'Myanmar' as the latter was the name given by the military junta, and is a name not approved of by Suu Kyi's democratic opposition party. 

For a link-laden round up of the issue, read Jaclyn Belczyk's blog, which sums up well the events and reactions to Suu Kyi's arrest.