Myanmar’s ousted leaders, former State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, were sentenced to four years in prison on Monday. This is the first verdict on a number of charges that could possibly keep the Nobel laureate and her political associates incarcerated for decades.
Suu Kyi was found guilty of incitement against the military and violating the country’s COVID-19 protocols, which fall under the National Disaster Law. The special court set up by the junta sentenced the leaders to two years in jail for each charge, spokesperson Zaw Min Tun told AFP. However, their sentences were halved to two years after receiving a partial pardon by the leader of the military government, Min Aung Hlaing. Suu Kyi pleaded “not guilty” to both charges back in September.
Zaw Min Tun added that the leaders would not yet be taken to prison and that “they will face other charges from the places where they are staying now.” The spokesperson was referring to the pair’s detention in the capital of Naypyidaw; the exact location of where they are being kept remains unclear.
The former leader of Myanmar has been battling 11 superficial charges that were pinned on her in an effort to curb opposition in the aftermath of the putsch. These include accusations of violating the country’s Import and Export Law over the possession of “illegally” imported walkie-talkies that were not registered. In addition, she has been accused of corruption and violating the country’s colonial-era secrecy law.
In recent weeks, other senior members of Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) have also received lengthy sentences. A former chief minister was sentenced to 75 years’ jail this month, while another close aid was jailed for 20 years. Journalists have been prohibited from sitting in on court proceedings and Aung San Suu Kyi's lawyers were also recently banned from speaking to the media.
The news of the latest verdicts was met with criticism from international organisations. Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for campaigns, Yu Hah, condemned the “harsh” sentences and “bogus” charges, saying they “are the latest example of the military’s determination to eliminate all opposition and suffocate freedoms in Myanmar.”
The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights said in a statement that charges against Suu Kyi and dozens of other detained former lawmakers were “nothing more than an excuse by the junta to justify their illegal power grab.” Likewise, the International Crisis Group’s Myanmar senior advisor, Richard Horsey, also told AFP that the sentences “were about retribution and a show of power by the military.”
The sentencing of former democratic leaders comes as violence continues across the country. On Sunday, security forces rammed a car into peaceful demonstrators in Yangon, killing five people. State media said one person sustained serious injuries, while 11 others were arrested for protesting “without asking for permission.”