Firmly Denies Rumors Of Talks With The Myanmar Military Regime, Aung San Suu Kyi: None!

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

JAKARTA - Myanmar's detained State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has denied rumors that she has held talks with junta leaders over the past two months.

"No one came to talk to me," Daw Aung San Suu Kyi told her lawyer on Monday, during a brief chat with her legal team, according to a lawyer present, citing The Irrawaddy Sept. 13.

"There were rumors about who met him, but he told us, until now no one (from the governing body of the junta, State Administration Council or military) has met him," the lawyer continued.

Rumors circulated that coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing met with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi before Myanmar's Martyrs' Day, which falls on July 19. Then, it was mentioned that there was a follow-up meeting last month with two members of the SAC (State Administration Council).

A local news outlet reported that the military-appointed Minister of Information and Planning U Chit Naing and Minister of Finance and Industry U Win Shein met with Aung San Suu Kyi on Aug. 6.

On Monday, Aung San Suu Kyi was supposed to appear before a special court in Zabuthiri Township of Naypyitaw, Myanmar after eight weeks of delaying her trial due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, due to her illness and unwell due to motion sickness during the trip, Suu Kyi requested an abscess from yesterday's court proceedings.

Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other senior leaders of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party were detained hours before the February 1 military coup.

He faces six charges for alleged violation of COVID-19 restrictions, possession of illegal walkie-talkies, incitement and for violating the Official Secrets Act. Myanmar's military regime has also filed four corruption charges against him. He faces a possible 75-year prison sentence.

Until early June, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's trial was conducted via videoconference. His legal defense team met him in person for the first time on June 7, at the first hearing in which he appeared in court in person.

Please note, the trial for the five charges against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is supposed to be completed in December. Witness appearances for those cases were halfway done when the trial was adjourned for two months from 19 July.

The Myanmar Coup. The editor of VOI continues to monitor the political situation in one of the ASEAN member countries. Civilian casualties continue to fall. Readers can follow news about the Myanmar military coup by tapping this link.