Burma is tightening its grip on Aung San Suu Kyi. The former leader was sentenced to an additional five years in prison on Wednesday during the river trial, which was denounced as political by the international community.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner, who has already been sentenced to six years in prison in recent months, was sentenced this time under anti -corruption law.
He remains under house arrestsaid junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun.
According to local media, the former Burmese leader will appeal his sentence.
In good health according to a source familiar with the matter interviewed earlier this week, Aung San Suu Kyi, 76, has been incarcerated since the military coup on February 1, 2021, which ended a decade of democratic transition in Burma.
Fraud, sedition and corruption
Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced on this occasion for violating the law of state secrets since the colonial era, electoral fraud, sedition and corruption. He faced decades of incarceration.
The military regime accused him of receiving 600,000 dollars and more than 11 kilograms of gold as bribes from the former minister responsible for the Yangon region, Phyo Min Thein.
The latter testified in court, claiming he was paid gold and silver in exchange for his support. Aung San Suu Kyi, for her part, denied these allegations. A dozen counts of corruption were filed against him.
Aung San Suu Kyi is serving at the beginning of her sentence under house arrest at an unspecified location. He has been there for more than a year and will have to stay there until his trial is over.
The latter was held behind closed doors in the capital of Naypyidaw. His lawyers are forbidden to speak to the press and international organizations.
A coup according to the international community
Many international observers have criticized this approach as only motivating, according to them, the desire to definitely exclude Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of the freedom hero and big winner in the 2015 and 2020 elections, from the arena of politics.
” Political motivation is obvious. This is another heinous step in consolidating the coup. “
Because of his old age, he will possibly end his days in prisonsaid Phil Robertson, deputy director of the Asia division of the NGO Human Rights Watch. Destroying Burmese democracy means leaving it first, leaving the junta to chance.
Several relatives of Aung San Suu Kyi were given heavy sentences. A former parliamentarian received the death penalty, a former minister received 75 years in prison and one of his colleagues was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Others were exiled or hid.
Some of the fallen representatives formed a national unity government (NUG) parallel, with the aim of undermining the legitimacy of the junta.
But 15 months after the coup, the NUG does not control any territory and is not recognized by any foreign government.
An important figure
Aung San Suu Kyi remains a very popular figure in Burma, even though her international image has been damaged by her inability to defend the Muslim Rohingya minority.
He has completely disappeared from radar since he was arrested, appearing only in rare snaps taken by state media in court.
Meanwhile, opponents of the military regime are trying to free the country from the grip of the generals. Militias have taken up arms against the junta in several regions of Burma, against the principle of non -violence advocated by Aung San Suu Kyi.
Last week, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing called for talks with ethnic rebel groups that control large parts of the territory and have been fighting the military for decades.
The coup in February 2021 plunged the country into chaos. Nearly 1,800 civilians were killed by security forces and more than 13,000 arrested, according to a local NGO.
Source: Radio-Canada
