Aung San Suu Kyi has been jailed for five years after she was found guilty of corruption by a court in military-controlled Myanmar, the latest in a series of widely criticised legal cases that could lead to her spending the rest of her life in detention.
Myanmar’s former leader, 76, has been detained since a military coup in February last year plunged the country into a political crisis and escalating conflict. Since then, she has been charged with at least 18 offences, ranging from election fraud to violating the Official Secrets Act.
Wednesday’s case centred on allegations that she accepted 11.4kg (402 oz) of gold and cash payments totalling US$600,000 from the former Yangon chief minister Phyo Min Thein.
Her legal team have rejected the charges as absurd, while rights groups have described them as a clear attempt to remove Aung San Suu Kyi as a political threat.
It is not known where she is being held. She has not been seen in public since the coup, and trials have taken place in a closed court, with her legal representatives banned from talking to the media.
Last month, the independent media outlet Myanmar Now reported a rare message from the ousted leader, relayed through an anonymous source, in which she told the public to stay united.
The source told the outlet: “She said today that everyone needs to stay united and hold discussions on different views. If they still aren’t able to open dialogues now, she said to wait patiently until it is possible to do so.”
She faces a further 10 charges of corruption.
The junta continues to face widespread opposition, including peaceful protest movements and an armed resistance. More than 10,300 people are currently in detention, according to estimates by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners Burma, an advocacy group that tracks arrests and killings. (Guardian)