Myanmar convicts Suu Kyi in fresh blow to democracy
Military rulers criticized by human rights groups
BANGKOK – Aung San Suu Kyi, the civilian leader of Myanmar who was ousted in a de facto coup this year, was convicted on two charges Monday and sentenced to four years that was quickly cut in half in proceedings widely criticized as a further effort by the country’s military rulers to roll back the democratic gains of recent years.
The verdict serves to cement a dramatic reversal of fortunes for Suu Kyi, 76, a Nobel Peace laureate who spent 15 years under house arrest for resisting the Southeast Asian nation’s generals but then agreed to work alongside them when they promised to usher in democratic rule.
It is only the first in a series of cases brought against Suu Kyi since her arrest on Feb. 1, the day the army seized power, claiming massive voting fraud in last year’s election. Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party won that vote in a landslide, and independent election observers did not detect any major irregularities.
The verdict was widely criticized abroad as a farce, and it threatens to inflame tensions further in Myanmar, where resistance to the takeover has been fierce and is increasingly armed in the face of a violent crackdown by the military.
Dr. Sasa, spokesperson for the National Unity Government, an opposition group that has declared itself the country’s shadow administration, called the verdict “a shameful day for
the rule of law, justice and accountability in Myanmar” and said it represented an effort to “replace our dreams with military dictatorship forever.”
If found guilty of all the charges she faces, Suu Kyi could be sentenced to more than 100 years in prison. She is being held by the military at an unknown location, and state television reported that she would serve her sentence there. That sentence was reduced hours after it was handed down in what the report said was an amnesty ordered by the country’s military leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing.
The court earlier offered a 10-month reduction in the sentence for time served, according to a legal official who insisted on anonymity for fear of being punished by the authorities. The state TV report did not mention any credit for time served.
The cases against Suu Kyi are widely seen as contrived to discredit her and keep her from running in the next election.
She is widely revered at home for her role in the country’s pro-democracy movement and was long viewed abroad as an icon of that struggle, epitomized by her 15 years under house arrest.
On Monday, she faced an incitement charge that centered on statements posted on her party’s Facebook page after she and other party leaders were detained by the military. She was accused of spreading false or inflammatory information that could disturb public order. In addition, she was accused of violating coronavirus restrictions for her appearance at a campaign event ahead of the elections last year.
The United States joined others in calling for her release.