Unhealthy Condition, Myanmar Leader Aung San Suu Kyi Cancels Trial

Aung San Suu Kyi. (Wikimedia Commons/East Asia and Pacific Media Hub/U.S. Department of State)

JAKARTA - Myanmar's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi was unable to appear in court on Monday for health reasons, a member of his legal team said.

Suu Kyi, who has been detained on various charges since her overthrow in a February 1 coup, is known to have no symptoms of the coronavirus. The pain he feels is more due to dizziness because he hasn't traveled in his vehicle for a long time, said one of his lawyers, Min Min Soe.

A popular Nobel Peace Prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi has spent about half of the last three decades of her life in various forms of detention for her nonviolent struggle against dictatorships, while her health is closely monitored.

"It's not a serious illness. He suffers from motion sickness. He couldn't stand the feeling and told us he wanted to rest," Min Min Soe told Reuters, as quoted Monday, September 13.

Suu Kyi's only communication with the outside world is through her legal team, who say their access to her is restricted and monitored by authorities.

He is on trial in the capital Naypyitaw on charges that include illegal importation and possession of a walkie-talkie radio and violating coronavirus protocols.

In addition, he has also been charged with taking large bribes and has been charged with an unspecified violation of the Official Secrets Act in a separate and more serious case, which carries a penalty of up to 14 years in prison. The team of lawyers denied all these accusations.

Meanwhile, the head of Suu Kyi's legal team, Khin Maung Zaw, said his client could not take a stand on Monday and the judge agreed to his absence from the trial.

"He seems sick, sneezes, and says he's sleepy. That's why the lawyer only spoke to him briefly," he said in a text message.

Separately, nearly 50 soldiers and police officers of the Myanmar military regime were reportedly killed in two attacks by civil resistance fighters against regime troop posts in Chin State and Magwe Region over the weekend, citing The Irrawaddy Monday 13 September.

This is inseparable from the increasing clashes between the military regime forces and the people's defense forces, along with the declaration of people's war by the civilian Government of National Unity (NUG) on 7 September.

Following the announcement, the military regime stepped up not only its inspections and arrests but also its violence and raids including burning villages across Myanmar, especially in the Sagaing and Magwe regions and Kayah State.

As of last Saturday, at least 1,080 people have been killed by junta forces during raids, crackdowns, arrests, interrogations, and shootings since the military coup, the Association for Assistance to Political Prisoners (AAPP) said. Meanwhile, nearly 8,050 people including elected government leaders have been detained by the junta or are facing arrest warrants.

Myanmar Coup. The VOI editorial team continues to monitor the political situation in one of the ASEAN member countries. Casualties from civilians continue to fall. Readers can follow the news covering the Myanmar military coup by clicking this link.