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Myanmar leader Suu Kyi testifies before junta court

WION Web Team
Naypyidaw, MyanmarUpdated: Oct 27, 2021, 12:38 AM IST
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Photograph:(Reuters)

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She is accused of numerous offenses, including breaking Coronavirus protocols, illegally possessing two-way radios, accepting bribes of cash and gold, inciting public alarm, and violating the Official Secrets Act

Four months after being put on trial by the Myanmar military, ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi testified for the first time in a junta court on Tuesday.

As per a AFP report, a source with knowledge of the case revealed that she "gave her statement at the court by herself" in response to incitement charges stemming from two statements she made in February criticizing the coup.

The source said the contents of her testimony cannot be revealed until after the court has certified it, which is expected to happen next week.

However, media reports claim the ousted leader has denied charges of incitement to cause public alarm.

Her trial began in June, four months after she was taken into custody, and she now faces charges that could see her imprisoned for decades.

She is accused of numerous offenses, including breaking Coronavirus protocols, illegally possessing two-way radios, accepting bribes of cash and gold, inciting public alarm, and violating the Official Secrets Act.

The media is barred from attending the trial of Suu Kyi in the military-built capital Naypyidaw, and her legal team has also been prohibited from speaking to the media.

Before this ban was imposed, her attorneys had told the media that the Nobel Laureate wouldn't call any defence witnesses during her incitement trial and would represent herself.

As the junta continues to wage its bloody campaign against those opposed to its rule, it has threatened to dissolve Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party.

The Tuesday meeting of leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United States also focused on Myanmar. In the wake of the crisis, international pressure has mounted on ASEAN to broker a diplomatic resolution.

Watch | ASEAN summit kicks off without Myanmar representative

After ASEAN demanded a "non-political representative" be sent in the place of junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, the generals boycotted the summit.

The rare rebuke came after Myanmar refused to meet with a special envoy who was to meet with "all stakeholders" in the country, a phrase that was seen as including former leader Suu Kyi.

Since the February 1 coup, the country has been rocked by nationwide protests. According to local monitoring groups, more than 1,100 people have been killed by security forces since the beginning of the coup.