Sedition charge against Suu Kyi on day 2 of trial
Bangkok, June 15: The trial of Myanmar’s deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi entered its second day Tuesday, with the prosecution presenting arguments that she incited public disorder and flouted Coronavirus restrictions, part of a package of charges the ruling junta is seen as using to discredit her and consolidate its control. Suu Kyi and other members of her government and party were arrested by the military after the February 1 coup, with criminal charges brought against some of the top figures on litany of charges that both their supporters and independent observers say are bogus.
The coup reversed years democratic reforms in Myanmar after decades of military rule and sparked widespread protests and international condemnation. Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party had been due to start a second five-year term of office after winning a landslide victory in a general election last November. Suu Kyi has not been seen in public since her arrest and her lawyers say they don’t know exactly where she is currently being held.
She has also had only limited time to consult with her legal team. Tuesday’s session was to cover a sedition charge brought against Suu Kyi, along with a second count of violating Covid-19 restrictions. The sedition charge, which is sometimes described as incitement, calls for up to two years’ imprisonment for anyone found guilty of causing fear or alarm that could cause an offence against the state or public tranquility. The offence has been law since Myanmar was a British colony, and has been criticised as a catchall stature that infringes on freedom of speech and is used for political repression. The trial, which is closed to the public and media, opened Monday in the capital Nayptitaw, with police outlining several of the cases against her.