Munmun Kaur
Published On: January 10, 2022 at 12:38 IST
The Myanmar Junta Court is anticipated to deliver decisions in several delayed cases against Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, today. The ousted leader has been detained since February 01, 2021 after the military coup, which ended the short-lived experiment of democracy in Myanmar.
Amongst the series of accusations, the Court is going to decide on the allegations of importing and possessing walkies-talkies illegally, and for breaking coronavirus rules.
As per the sources, it was alleged that the walkies-talkies were discovered during the raid on the day of the coup. Although, in cross examinations during Court hearings, the members of the raiding party have admitted that the raid was conducted without warrant.
After constant delay, the verdicts are highly anticipated. If found guilty, Suu Kyi can be sentenced to maximum of 6 years in prison. This sentence would be in addition to the one delivered in December 2021 when she was jailed for four years for incitement and breaching Covid-19 rules while campaigning. Although, the Junta Chief Min Aung Hlaing had cut the sentence to two years and said that she could serve her term under house arrest in the capital Naypyidaw.
According to a local monitoring group, about 1400 civilians have been killed ever since the coup. Although, the military leaders have conveniently denied the killings and have asserted that it was the soldiers that have died due to the agitation.
December’s ruling convicting Suu Kyi received world condemnation which, as per Manny Maung, a Human Rights Watch researcher, only worsen after another conviction. After December’s ruling, the Myanmar public had reverted to old protesting tactics of banging pots and pans in a show of anger.
Also read: The turbulent political history of Myanmar