Myanmar Junta to Start Suu Kyi’s First Trial Since February Coup
Expelled Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi will appear in court on Monday as her first trial begins with charges against her after the military Coup in February this year.
Suu Kyi and former President Win Myint, who have been in custody since February 1 and face a number of charges, are expected to testify in person at a special court in the capital, Naypyidaw, according to their defense chief, Khin Maung Zaw. He is on trial for allegedly violating Covid-19 restrictions during last year's election, as well as for inciting and engaging in illegal entertainment.
On Tuesday, he will return to court to face two other charges of violating the Natural Disaster Management Law and Telecommunications Law, Khin Maung Zaw said by telephone, adding that he expected decisions to be made in mid-August. He described all the allegations against him as baseless.
The trial is the latest military prosecution to defame Suu Kyi after her party won more than 80% of the seats in the November national election, prompting the military to say it was tainted by widespread fraud despite international observers saying most of them were free and innocent. The result coincided with another victory in 2015, when Suu Kyi founded the country's first public-led government in more than 50 years.
Since the rise of the regime, the military has fought hard against a dignified government founded by its allies, sparking civil strife with armed ethnic rebels and foreign sanctions from the US and its Western allies over the deadly attacks on protesters who killed more than 850 people. The military, also known as Tatmadaw, has removed the two leaders weeks ago from their homes in the capital to an unknown location.
Suu Kyi, 75, is also facing other criminal charges. On June 10, the junta accused him and other officials of corruption in the most serious of the seven cases against him, accusing him of bribing and illegally renting property. As a senior government official he faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Suu Kyi has long faced the struggle of the Myanmar democracy movement, winning the Nobel Peace Prize while imprisoned for a better time 20 years before her release in 2010. His international reputation has suffered in recent years as a result of his defense of the Myanmar Army from allegations of genocide by Rohingya Muslims in the International Court of Justice.
Posts
