77th Anniversary 'Bitter Gift', Myanmar Military Regime Transfers Aung San Suu Kyi's Judicial Process To Prison

Aung San Suu Kyi. (Wikimedia Commons/US Department of State)

JAKARTA - The military regime without explanation has ordered all legal proceedings against ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi to be moved from the courtroom to prison, a source familiar with the case said on Wednesday.

Nobel laureate Suu Kyi has been charged with at least 20 criminal offenses since she was ousted in a coup early last year, including several counts of corruption.

Initially, military regime leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing had allowed Suu Kyi to remain detained at an undisclosed location in the capital Naypyitaw, even though she was convicted of sedition and several minor offences. Suu Kyi herself denies all accusations.

The source, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the trial, said the trial would be transferred to a new special court in Naypyitaw prison.

"It was stated by the judge that the new building for the court had been completed," the source added. The ruling military council could not immediately be reached for comment.

Suu Kyi's marathon trial is taking place behind closed doors, with only limited information reported by state media. A gag order has been placed on his lawyer, with his only access being on trial days.

It is unclear how much Suu Kyi is aware of the crisis in her country, which has been in turmoil since the coup, with the military struggling to consolidate power and facing increasing resistance from militia groups.

Meanwhile, Western countries have called the sentence a sham and demanded his release. The military said he was undergoing legal proceedings by an independent court.

According to VOA, Suu Kyi's 77th birthday on Sunday took a birthday cake to court to eat with her lawyer ahead of Monday's hearing, according to sources familiar with the matter.

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.