Aung San Suu Kyi sentenced to 4 years in jail
Date: 08 December 2021 Tags: MiscellaneousIssue
Aung San Suu Kyi, the ousted leader of Myanmar has been sentenced to 4 years in jail by a special court for incitement and violating Coronavirus restrictions.
Background
Suu Kyi is under house-arrest since the civilian government was removed through a coup by the military junta.
Details
These judgments were first among several charges faced by the 76-year old Nobel Peace Prize winner. She can face a maximum imprisonment of 102 years for charges.
The charges
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The charge of incitement was levied based on statements made on Facebook pages of Suu Kyi’s party. It happened after Suu Kyi was detained by military.
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Any person who spreads false or inflammatory information that could disturb public order could be held liable under the law.
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Suu Kyi and her lawyers argue that she was already in detention and thus could not be held liable for posts that criticized the government.
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The charges of Covid-19 protocol violation stems from the time when Suu Kyi waved to her supporters from vehicle, while wearing a face mask and face shield.
Other cases against Suu Kyi
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Other charges against Suu Kyi include alleged acceptance of bribes and abusing her power for favourable property deals.
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She is also charged for violating the Official Secrets Act and also alleged use of unlicensed walkie-talkies by her security guards.
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Another corruption charge accuses her and Win Myint of corruption in granting permits to rent and buy a helicopter.
Protests
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There have been protests across Myanmar, demanding Suu Kyi’s release. Anti-military protests have been taking place in Yangon against the overthrow of the elected government.
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The Junta has been accusing Suu Kyi of winning elections through a massive voter fraud, which was rejected by Election Commission and international observers.