Thrown In Solitary Confinement Last Week, ASEAN Special Envoy Urges Military Regime To Release Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi. (Wikimedia Commons / Claude Truong-Ngoc)

JAKARTA - ASEAN's Special Envoy for the Myanmar crisis has urged the military regime not to keep ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi in prison, seeking leniency ahead of a visit this week.

As Special Envoy, Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn will make his second trip to Myanmar starting Wednesday, a spokesman for his ministry said, as part of the junta's peace commitments with the 10-member ASEAN.

Aung San Suu Kyi, who is on trial, accused of at least 20 crimes since the coup against her elected government last year, has been transferred to a prison in the capital Naypyitaw and held in solitary confinement. He denies all charges.

The 77-year-old woman was until last week released from prison and is being held at an undisclosed location, despite having several sentences for relatively minor offences.

Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn in a letter to the junta urged compassion, as reported by Reuters June 27.

"Aung San Suu Kyi is regarded internationally and by many in Myanmar as having an important role in the return of your country to normalcy and national reconciliation through a peaceful political solution," he wrote, according to a statement.

Previously, activists denounced Prak Sokhonn's last visit in March as a failure to benefit the military regime and ignore its opponents, criticism he said he understood.

In his letter, he said a successful peace process was impossible with one side excluded.

"A peaceful political resolution to a conflict, however complex it may be, must involve the sharing of political space by all involved," he added.

Protest against the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi. (Wikimedia Commons/Syced)

As previously reported, Myanmar's deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been moved from house arrest to solitary confinement in a military-built prison complex in the capital Naypyidaw, a regime spokesman said.

"In accordance with criminal law (Aung San Suu Kyi) has been held in solitary confinement in prison" since Wednesday, military regime spokesman Zaw Min Tun said in a statement, citing CNA.

Initially, military regime leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing had allowed Aung San Suu Kyi to remain in detention even though she was sentenced. But on Wednesday, Myanmar's military rulers without explanation ordered all legal proceedings against him to be moved from the courtroom to prison, a source familiar with his case said.

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 Naypyidaw prison.

"It was stated by the judge that the new building for the court had been completed," the source added.

Separately, three legal officials said Aung San Suu Kyi's lawyer was notified on Tuesday that the building had been completed, and that all remaining court hearings would be held there from Thursday.

All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they are not authorized to release any information about his case.

One of the officials said the government intended to put him in solitary confinement after his first sentence last year, but had to wait until new facilities at the main prison in Naypyidaw were completed.

It said Australian economist Sean Turnell, who was an adviser to Aung San Suu Kyi, was being held in the same prison where Suu Kyi was sent. Turnell and Aung San Suu Kyi are being charged in the same case under the Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

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.