Sentenced to four years in prison, the former leader who had opposed the military coup of February 1st is under many other charges.
by
Arrested on the 1 February at the Burmese army coup, Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced, Monday, December 6, by a criminal court of Naypyidaw, the capital of the country , to four years in prison for “incitement to the uprising” and for violating rules relating to gatherings in Pandemic Time of Covid-19. In total, twelve charges weigh on the former Civil Officer de facto de Burma, accusations of corruption, electoral fraud or violation of telecommunications laws (for possession of Walkies without license).
Former President Win Myint, a close ally of the Nobel Prize, was sentenced to the same sentence. A spokesman for the junta, led by General Min Aung Hlaing, indicated that they would not be conducted in jail for the moment. “They will have to deal with other accusations from the places where they are currently staying” in Naypyidaw, “he added.
Aung San Suu Kyi had been charged for incentive to public disorders after two statements issued on 7 and 13 February, by the central executive committee of his party, the NLD (the National League for Democracy), great winner of the general elections From November 2020. The first called the international community, including the United Nations, foreign governments and foreign chancelleries in Myanmar, not to recognize the ruling system. The second said that all regulations, rules and laws promulgated by the junta were illegal. The defense team of the accused argued that these statements had been signed by any party representative, an argument that was not recognized by Justice Ye Lwin.
The latter is known to respect up to a certain point the forms, while never derogating from the requirements of his master, in this case the army. The Supreme Court has been chaired since 2011 by an official from the ranks of the military institution. Judge Ye Lwin sentenced in November the ex-executive of the NLD and ex-political prisoner Win Htein to twenty years in prison for sedition. The lawyers of M me Suu Kyi were not allowed to speak in public, but the defense got last week that Win Htein could testify.
Lack of International support
Ye Judge Ye Lwin has distinguished himself during the period of civilian government between 2015 and 2021, marked by the tiraling between the elected government of Aung San Su Kyi and the army still powerful. In 2019, he sentenced to seven years the two Burmese journalists from Reuters accused of violating the Official Secrets Act revealing the Rohingya village massacre. But he also took into account in their trial a capital testimony for the Defense, and embarrassing for the army: that of a police captain who proved that journalists had been trapped. The convictions were heavy – but the two journalists were released less than a year later by virtue of a presidential grace.
You have 49.25% of this article to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.