The trial of Myanmar’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi began on Monday, as the country’s military leaders continue to clamp down on unrest since their coup in February.
The 75-year-old Nobel peace prize laureate is accused of a dozen different crimes.
She has been under house arrest since the military coup on Feb. 1.
Observers believe that the military aims to silence Suu Kyi long-term, as she faces long sentences.
She is accused, among other things, of violating foreign trade rules and coronavirus rules, as well as of inciting unrest and misuse of land.
Most recently she has also been accused of corruption.
Suu Kyi’s lawyers said they would reveal details about the trial in the afternoon.
Phil Robertson, the deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, described the charges against Suu Kyi as “bogus, and politically motivated by the intention to nullify her landslide election victory in the November 2020 election and prevent her from ever running for office again.”
“All these charges should be dropped, resulting in her immediate and unconditional release.
“But sadly, with the restrictions on access to her lawyers, and the case being heard in front of a court that is wholly beholden to the military junta, there is little likelihood she will receive a fair trial,” Robertson said.
Myanmar has sunk into chaos and violence since a military coup in early February.
The armed forces have brutally cracked down on any form of dissent.
According to the non-profit Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), at least 863 people have been killed and more than 6,000 arrested.
(dpa/NAN)
=========================About Us==========================
METROWATCH is an online daily newspaper founded in October 2013 by a seasoned reporter, Collins Edomaruse. He had risen to the position of General Editor in his 18 years stint at THISDAY newspaper, an appointment he resigned on October 30, 2013 to pursue his online newspaper publishing dream. Prior to his appointment as the newspaper’s General Editor, he had served, at various times, as Editor, Nation’s Capital; Group News Editor, Associate Editor, and Deputy Editor at different times for the newspaper’s three titles – Daily, Sunday and Saturday.
Edomaruse had covered education, sports, energy, national security, defence and transport beats among others. As a defence correspondent, Edomaruse traversed the war zones of both Liberia and Sierra-Leone in the dark days of Charles Taylor and Foday Sanko as warlords, which earned him the sobriquet “General” by his colleagues in the newsroom.
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METROWATCH will act as a catalyst in our debate and desire for a crime-free Nigeria and provide the much-needed platform for all, irrespective of social, religious or political divide, to express their views.
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