A court in military-ruled Burma (also known as Myanmar) sentenced deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi to five years in jail on April 27 after finding her guilty in the first of 11 corruption cases she faces, a source with knowledge of the proceedings said.
The Nobel laureate and figurehead of Burma’s opposition to military rule is charged with at least 18 offenses carrying combined maximum jail terms of nearly 190 years, all but killing off any chance of a political comeback.
The judge in the capital, Naypyitaw, handed down the verdict within moments of the court convening and gave no explanation, said the source, who declined to be identified because the trial is being held behind closed doors, with information restricted.
Suu Kyi, who has attended all of her hearings, was displeased with the outcome and would appeal, the source said.
The European Union confirmed the sentencing in a statement. The EU said the trial was politically motivated, a setback for democracy, and “represents another step towards the dismantling of the rule of law and a further blatant violation of human rights in Myanmar.”
The 76-year-old led Burma for five years during a short period of tentative democracy before being forced from power in a coup in February 2021 by the military, which has ruled the former British colony for five of the past six decades.
It wasn’t immediately clear if she would be transferred to a prison to serve the sentence.
Since her arrest, she has been held in an undisclosed location, where junta chief Min Aung Hlaing previously said she could stay after convictions in December and January for comparatively minor offenses that led to a six-year term.
The military government’s spokesperson Zaw Min Tun couldn’t be reached for comment and made no mention of the Suu Kyi ruling on April 27 during a televised news conference that ran more than 3 1/2 hours.
The latest case centered on accusations that Suu Kyi accepted 11.4 kilograms (402 ounces) in gold and cash payments totaling $600,000 from her protege-turned-accuser, former chief minister of the city of Yangon, Phyo Min Thein.
‘Kangaroo Courts’
Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of New York-based Human Rights Watch, said Suu Kyi’s days as a free woman were effectively ended.“Myanmar’s junta and the country’s kangaroo courts are walking in lockstep to put Aung San Suu Kyi away for what could ultimately be the equivalent of a life sentence, given her advanced age,” he said.
“Destroying popular democracy in Myanmar also means getting rid of Aung San Suu Kyi, and the junta is leaving nothing to chance.”
Burma has been in turmoil since the coup, with the military using lethal force to suppress nationwide protests and public anger. Tens of thousands of people have been arrested and many killed, tortured, and beaten, in what the United Nations has called crimes against humanity.
The international community has put sanctions on the military and dismissed Suu Kyi’s trials as farcical. The Burma embassies of Britain and the United States didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
The military has said Suu Kyi committed crimes and is being given due process by an independent judiciary and rejects foreign criticism as interference.
The junta has refused to allow her visits, including by a special Southeast Asian envoy trying to end the crisis.
On Twitter, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said he was deeply concerned about the sentence, urging that “the basic principles of human rights and justice should be ensured.”
Nay Phone Latt, a former official in Suu Kyi’s ousted ruling party, said court decisions were temporary because the military rule wouldn’t last long.
“We do not recognize the terrorist junta’s rulings, legislation, or the judiciary,” said Nay Phone Latt, who belongs to the shadow National Unity Government, which has declared a people’s revolt against military rule.
“I don’t care how long they want to sentence, whether it’s one year, two years, or whatever they want. This won’t last.”
