MYANMAR’S SUU KYI JAILED FOR A FURTHER SEVEN YEARS

Fri 30 December 2022:

In the final of a series of criminal cases in an 18-month trial process, a court in military-ruled Myanmar convicted the country’s deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi guilty of corruption charges and sentenced her to seven years in jail, a legal official said.

Aung San Suu Kyi, 77, a prisoner of the military since a coup in 2021, has now been found guilty of all charges brought against her, including corruption, illegal possession of walkie-talkies, and violating COVID-19 regulations.

COURT IN MYANMAR EXTENDS PRISON SENTENCE TO 26 YEARS FOR AUNG SAN SUU KYI

The court’s ruling on Friday leaves the deposed leader with a total of 33 years to serve in prison following the series of politically motivated prosecutions in the wake of the military seizing power in February 2021.

“All her cases were finished and there are no more charges against her,” a legal source, who requested anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media, told AFP news agency.

In the case that concluded on Friday, Aung San Suu Kyi was alleged to have abused her position and caused a loss of state funds by neglecting to follow financial regulations in granting permission to Win Myat Aye, a cabinet member in her former government, to hire, buy and maintain a helicopter.

AUNG SAN SUU KYI MOVED INTO SOLITARY CONFINEMENT IN PRISON: JUNTA SPOKESMAN

“The question now will be what to do with Aung San Suu Kyi,” said Richard Horsey of the International Crisis Group.

“Whether to allow her to serve out her sentence under some form of house arrest, or grant foreign envoys limited access to her,” he said.

“But the regime is unlikely to be in any rush to make such decisions.”

According to the UN agency for children, more than a million people have been displaced since the military takeover.

MYANMAR JUNTA SENTENCES AUNG SAN SUU KYI TO FIVE YEARS FOR CORRUPTION

An organization that monitors human rights recently reported that at least 2,465 civilians had been killed by the military, although the actual figure is believed to be far higher, and that more than 16,000 individuals had been detained on political grounds.

After the army took control in 2021, there were numerous nonviolent protests that the security authorities attempted to put an end to with lethal force and that eventually grew into an armed resistance movement.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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