American citizen John William Yettaw, who was recently sentenced by a Myanmar district court to serve seven years' rigorous imprisonment, was released and deported by the government Sunday and left the country in the afternoon along with Democrat Senator of the United States Jim Webb who concluded his three-day visit to Myanmar.

American John Yettaw arrives in Thailand's military airbase in Bangkok Aug. 16, 2009.[Xinhua]

Yettaw was convicted by the court on charge of entering into Aung San Suu Kyi's restricted lake-side residence for three days in early May.

The release was secured through efforts made by Webb who met with Myanmar top leader Senior-General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council, in Nay Pyi Taw Saturday.

Democratic Senator of the United States Jim Webb meets with the press before departure at the Yangon International Airport, Myanmar, Aug. 16, 2009. [Zhang Yunfei/Xinhua]

Webb, Chairman of the East Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, arrived in Myanmar on Friday on a three-day visit as part of his two-week tour to five Southeast Asian nations at the invitation of Myanmar Foreign Minister U Nyan Win.

The visit came days after a Myanmar district sentenced on Aug. 11 on the 54-year-old epilepsy-suffering American Yettaw, along with Aung San Suu Kyi, to the seven years' rigorous imprisonment.

Webb's five-nation trip had taken him to Laos and he will proceed to Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia after Myanmar visit.

(Xinhua News Agency August 17, 2009)