Trial of Myanmar’s elected leaders begins in secret
The closed-door trial began in secret, with the two defendants appearing by video. The defense attorney wasn’t even aware what was happening. By the time he rushed to the court Tuesday afternoon, it was all over, in less than an hour.
The trial of Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s civilian leader who was ousted in a military coup two weeks ago, and Win Myint, the deposed president, began Tuesday. They face obscure charges that could land them in prison for six years and three years, respectively.
Suu Kyi was accused of violating import restrictions after walkie-talkies and other foreign equipment were found in her villa compound. She was also charged with contravening a natural disaster management law by interacting with a crowd during the coronavirus pandemic, a charge that had not been disclosed publicly before.
Win Myint has been charged with breaching the natural disaster restrictions.
The first day of the trial of Myanmar’s elected leaders capped a dizzying two weeks in which the military, which ruled the country for nearly a half-century before sharing some power with a civilian government, locked up hundreds of people, stripped away civil liberties for the entire population and steadfastly ignored the millions of protesters who have risen up against their seizure of power.
Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who led Myanmar’s democratic opposition for decades, has not been seen publicly since soldiers descended on her villa in the early morning hours of Feb. 1, but her smiling face has been omnipresent on posters and signs carrying by protesters during their daily rallies.
The trial, as with so many cases in Myanmar, was filled with anomalies.
Khin Maung Zaw, Suu Kyi’s lawyer, was originally told the court proceedings would begin Monday. Then he was led to believe it would be Wednesday. At 11 a.m. Tuesday, he was notified that his client was appearing via video conference in a court in Naypyitaw, the capital.
“The timing seems like they don’t want public attention in this case,” said Khin Maung Zaw, a human rights lawyer.
But as word of the trial trickled out, people in Myanmar organized an online campaign urging 1 million people to gather Wednesday near Sule Pagoda in Yangon.
Khin Maung Zaw has been told that the next trial session will be March 1 and that the trial could last for six months to a year.
Win Myint, who served as a High Court lawyer before he became president, will represent himself.
Khin Maung Zaw said that he had begun building his client’s defense. While Suu Kyi was charged with violating import regulations, the walkie-talkies in question were used by her security team, which was assigned to her by the military-controlled Ministry of Home Affairs, he said.
“That question is the first question I will ask the court when I have a chance,” Khin Maung Zaw said. “Let’s see how they will answer it.”