Myanmar Court Sentences Aung San Suu Kyi To Four Years In Prison In Three Different Cases

Aung San Suu Kyi. (Wikimedia Commons / Michał Józefaciuk)

JAKARTA - A Myanmar court ruled by the military regime has sentenced Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi to four years in prison on several charges including possession of a walkie-talkie without a permit, according to a source familiar with the process.

The court sentenced Suu Kyi to two years in prison for violating import-export laws by possessing a handheld radio, as well as one year for possessing a jamming set.

"The two sentences will run concurrently," the source said.

In addition, Suu Kyi was also sentenced to two years in prison on other charges, violating the natural disaster management law related to the coronavirus rules, the source continued.

Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, 76, is on trial in nearly a dozen cases that carry a combined maximum sentence of more than 100 years in prison. He denies all accusations directed by the Myanmar military regime against him.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the February 1 coup against Suu Kyi's democratically elected government, sparking widespread protests and raising international concerns about the end of tentative political reforms that date back to the end of decades of military rule.

Suu Kyi was detained on the same day as the coup and a few days after, a police document said six illegally imported walkie-talkies were found during a search of her home.

On December 6, he received a four-year prison sentence for sedition and violating coronavirus rules. The sentence, which was later reduced to two years, was met with international condemnation for what critics described as a sham trial.

Suu Kyi's supporters say the cases against the charismatic leader are baseless and designed to end her political career while the military consolidates power.

Meanwhile, Myanmar's military regime says Suu Kyi is undergoing legal proceedings by an independent court, presided over by a judge appointed by her own government. A spokesman for the military council could not immediately be reached for comment.

Please note that her court in the capital, Naypyitaw, has been closed to the media and Suu Kyi's lawyers have been barred from communicating with the media and the public. So far, the military has not disclosed where Suu Kyi, who spent years under house arrest under the previous military rule, is being held.

In recent court hearings, Suu Kyi wore the white top and brown longyi normally worn by Myanmar detainees, sources said.

Last month, military regime leaders Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Suu Kyi and ousted President Win Myint will remain in the same location for the duration of their trial, and will not be sent to prison.

The Myanmar Coup. VOI editors continue to unify the political situation in one of the ASEAN member countries. Civilian casualties continued to fall. Readers can follow news about the Myanmar military coup by tapping this link.