Bangkok-Myanmar court sentenced leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was exiled on Monday, to four years in prison after being convicted of illegally importing and possessing a transceiver and violating coronavirus restrictions. rice field.
Suu Kyi was convicted of two other charges last month and sentenced to four years in prison, but was subsequently halved by the head of government set up by the military.
Since the Army took power in February last year, expelled the elected government, and arrested a top member of the National League for Democracy, the case has been filed against the 76-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate. There are about 12 cases.
If convicted of all charges, she could be sentenced to more than 100 years in prison.
Suu Kyi’s supporters and independent analysts say the accusations against her were devised to justify seize of military power and prevent her from returning to politics.
Monday’s verdict in court in the capital Naypyidaw was reported by a lawyer who claimed anonymity for fear of being punished by authorities restricting the disclosure of information about Suu Kyi’s trial.
He said he was sentenced to two years’imprisonment under the Import and Export Act for importing a walkie-talkie and one year’s sentence under the Telecommunications Act for owning a walkie-talkie. The text will be provided at the same time. She was also sentenced to two years’ imprisonment under the Natural Disaster Management Act for violating coronavirus rules during the campaign.
Suu Kyi was convicted and sentenced to four years in prison last month for two other charges: sedition and violation of COVID-19 restrictions. Hours after the ruling was issued, senior general Min Aung Hlaing, the head of government set up by the army, cut it in half.
Suu Kyi’s party won a landslide victory in the 2020 general election, but the military claimed that there was widespread fraudulent elections, and independent pollsters suspect.
Since her first conviction, Suu Kyi has attended court hearings in prison clothes — a white top and brown longyi skirt provided by the authorities. She has been detained in an unknown location by the military, and state television reported last month that she would be sentenced to prison.
The hearing was not open to the media or the audience, and the prosecutor did not comment. Her lawyer, who was the source of the proceedings, received a gag order in October.
The military-established government has allowed any outside party to meet with Suu Kyi since it seized power, despite international pressure on negotiations, including her, which could ease the country’s fierce political crisis. I didn’t.
A special envoy of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to which Myanmar is a member, will not be allowed to meet her. The refusal received rare accusations from fellow members who banned Min Aung Hlaing from attending the annual summit.
Even Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who chaired the regional group this year and advocated a relationship with the ruling party general, could meet her when he became the head of government who visited Myanmar for the first time since the military hijacked last week. could not.
According to a detailed list compiled by the Political Prisoner Assistance Association, seize power of the military was crushed by security forces with deadly force and by nonviolent national demonstrations that killed more than 1,400 civilians. It was filled immediately.
Peaceful protests continue, but amid severe crackdowns, armed resistance has increased, and UN experts have warned that the country could fall into a civil war.
“The secret procedure for false accusations in the courts of the Myanmar junta is to steadily build up convictions against Aung San Suu Kyi so that she stays in prison indefinitely. And military junta leaders clearly see her as the most important political threat that needs to be permanently incapacitated, “said Phil Robertson, Deputy Director of Asia at Human Rights Watch. rice field.
“Once again, Aung San Suu Kyi has become a symbol of what is happening in her country and has returned to the role of political hostage in military hell by using intimidation and violence to rule power,” Robertson said in a statement. Stated. “Fortunately for her and Myanmar’s future, the Myanmar people’s movement has grown far beyond the leadership of one woman and one political party.”
Suu Kyi was charged with improperly importing transceivers shortly after the military hijacking. This served as the first justification for her continued detention. The following month, a second accusation was made for illegally possessing the radio.
Radio was confiscated from the entrance gate and bodyguard barracks of her dwelling during a search on February 1, when she was arrested.
Suu Kyi’s lawyer claimed that the radio was not her personal property and was legally used to ensure her safety, but the court refused to dismiss the indictment.
She was charged with two charges of violating coronavirus restrictions during the 2020 election campaign. She was found guilty in the first count last month.
She is also being tried by the same court for five corruption charges. The maximum penalty for each count is 15 years in prison and a fine. The sixth alleged corruption against her and the exiled President Win Myint in connection with granting permission to rent and buy a helicopter has not yet been tried.
In another case, she was accused of violating the Official Secrets Act, which sentenced her to up to 14 years in prison.
Additional charges were also added by the Myanmar Election Commission against Aung San Suu Kyi and 15 other politicians in November on suspicion of fraud in the 2020 elections. The military-appointed federal election commission charges could disperse Suu Kyi’s party and prevent the military from participating in new elections promised to take place within two years of its takeover.
follow