Undergoing Second Trial Without Lawyer, Aung San Suu Kyi Under New Charge

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

JAKARTA - Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi was present at a trial held by the Myanmar military regime on Monday 1 March. The second trial was conducted through video conferencing.

Suu Kyi's lawyer team member Min Soe told Reuters, Suu Kyi looked thin and possibly lost weight. Suu Kyi is also said to have not met her lawyers team.

Aung San Suu Kyi, who is also the leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), has not been seen in public since her government was toppled in a February 1 military coup. She was detained along with other party leaders, including Myanmar President U Win Myint.

In this trial, Suu Kyi has been charged with new charges, so that there have been three charges by Myanmar's military regime so far.

"The charges were added under the section of the colonial-era criminal code which prohibits the publication of information that could cause fear or alarm or disturb the public's calm", Min Min Soe said.

Previously, Suu Kyi was accused of illegally importing six walkie-talkie radios. Then, Suu Kyi was also charged with violating the Natural Disaster Law by violating the coronavirus protocol.

During the trial in mid-February, Suu Kyi was not accompanied by a lawyer, neither was the trial this time. Meanwhile, the next trial will be held on March 15.

Until now, the lawyer he has prepared for the NLD has not been able to meet Suu Kyi. One of her lawyers, U Khin Maung Zaw, said last week that he had not met in person to obtain 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. Cited from The Irrawaddy.

"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 get legal counsel", he said.