NAYPYIDAW – Ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi is expected to hear the verdict in her incitement trial on Tuesday, the first in a catalogue of judgments to be handed down in a junta court that could jail her for decades.
The Nobel laureate has been detained since the generals ousted her government in the early hours of February 1, ending the Southeast Asian country’s brief democratic interlude.
More than 1,200 people have been killed and over 10,000 arrested in a crackdown on dissent, according to a local monitoring group.
Suu Kyi faces three years in jail if found guilty of incitement against the military – just one of the charges that analysts say are aimed at removing the democracy icon from the political arena for good.
But the junta’s plans for Suu Kyi remain unknown, they add, and authorities could also delay the verdict.
Journalists have been barred from proceedings in the special court in the military-built capital Naypyidaw and her lawyers are banned from speaking to the media.
Days after the coup Suu Kyi was hit with obscure charges for possessing unlicensed walkie-talkies, and for violating coronavirus restrictions during elections her National League for Democracy won in 2020.
The junta has steadily added a slew of other indictments, including violating the official secrets act, corruption and electoral fraud.
Suu Kyi now appears most weekdays at the junta courtroom, with her legal team saying last month the hectic schedule was taking a toll on the 76-year-old’s health.
“I think it’s almost certain Suu Kyi will get a harsh sentence,” said David Mathieson, an analyst formerly based in Myanmar.
“The question is what will her incarceration look like? Will she get average convict treatment in a crowded women’s cell block, or privilege in a VIP statehouse?” – AFP, November 28, 2021
