Before The Trial Of The Myanmar Military Regime, Aung San Suu Kyi Was Threatened Without A Lawyer

Aung San Suu Kyi (Wikimedia Commons / Michał Józefaciuk)

JAKARTA - Myanmar's leader who is also State Advisor Aung San Suu Kyi is threatened without being accompanied by a lawyer in the trial which will be held next week.

Ousted by Myanmar's military coup on February 1, since then Aung San Suu Kyi along with a number of political figures and Myanmar democracy activists have been detained in an unknown place.

The first charge against him was against the Export-Import Law, in which he was accused of illegally imported walkie-talkie radio communications. The threat of punishment, three years imprisonment.

Aung San Suu Kyi's detention period, which ended on February 15, was arbitrarily extended by the Myanmar military regime, which should coincide with the first trial of the charges imposed on her.

After the extension of his detention period, Suu Kyi was again charged with violating the Law on Natural Disaster Management for violating COVID-19 restrictions during last year's Myanmar election campaign. The threat, also three years in prison.

At his first trial last week, he asked to be accompanied by a lawyer at the trial, because he was not accompanied by a lawyer during the trial. However, until now the lawyer he has prepared, U Khin Maung Zaw has not met in person to get a defense power of attorney.

Maung Zaw said he had submitted all necessary documents to the relevant authorities since February 16, for the signature of Suu Kyi's power of attorney.

"But until now, we have not received a power of attorney from him. If we don't have the power of attorney, Aung San Suu Kyi will be deprived of her right to legal counsel, "said the lawyer.

With the next trial scheduled to be held on Monday next week, U Khin Maung Zaw said all defense and attorney team documents had to be completed as soon as possible, or he would not be allowed to appear in court as Suu Kyi's lawyer.

"Which means, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will be tried in the next trial (back) without a lawyer to provide assistance and defense," he said.

He added that the desire to obtain documents and signatures of the defense attorney became increasingly difficult, because his request to hold a meeting with Suu Kyi did not ignore the Myanmar military regime.

"As a lawyer and client, the criminal procedure code requires (that I) accept his instructions, and it is also Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's pre-trial right as a defendant," he stressed.

For information, on Tuesday the foreign ministers of the G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, US) and high representatives of the EU, again called for the immediate and unconditional release of those who were arbitrarily detained, including State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint. The G7 nations also said they continued to support the Myanmar people in their quest for democracy and freedom, condemning the coup.