Aung San Suu Kyi, the 64-year-old Burmese democracy icon who has been under house arrest for almost 14 years, will have to endure being confined to her home for at least another 18 months.

The Nobel Peace laureate was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison for allowing American John Yettaw to stay at her home in Rangoon after he swam across a lake to get to her in May. The country’s leader, General Than Shwe, commuted the sentence to 18 months house arrest, though Kyi’s lawyers will immediately file for appeal. Many world leaders, such as President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for her release. Many Asian countries have been quieter in their response. Obama said her sentence violates "universal principles of human rights."

"Today’s unjust decision reminds us of the thousands of other political prisoners in Burma who, like Aung San Suu Kyi, have been denied their liberty because of their pursuit of a government that respects the will, rights and aspirations of all Burmese citizens. They, too, should be freed," Obama said, adding that he’s concerned about Yettaw’s seven-year hard-labor sentence. 

Even the iconic rock band U2 weighed in, calling the Burmese government a "bunch of crooks" for Suu Kyi’s "mock trial." The Washington Post wants world leaders to do more than just complain about Burma — it wants action for the additional 50 million Burmese who are essentially political prisoners in their own country. Critics of Burma’s military regime say the punishment is designed to prevent Suu Kyi from taking part in the 2010 elections.

"[Aung San Suu Kyi] is absolutely indispensable to the resumption of a political process that can lead to national reconciliation," in Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, the UN’s special envoy to Burma, told the BBC.

Our thoughts are with Suu Kyi and her family. Aren’t 14 years of confinement enough for a woman who just wants to see a free and democratic Burma?