Aung San Suu Kyi is finally set to serve her full sentence after a river trial. The former Burmese leader, who was ousted by the army in early 2021, was sentenced to 7 years in prison for corruption, a total sentence of 33 years behind bars if we add her other convictions. The famous 77-year-old opponent of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize appeared in “good health”, according to a court source. She could end up in prison, a life shaped by her struggle for democracy.
She has been imprisoned since the February 1, 2021 military coup that ended a brief period of freedom in this troubled Southeast Asian country. A court in the capital Naypyidaw, exceptionally sitting in the prison where she was placed in solitary confinement, on Friday found the ex-leader guilty of five counts of corruption. Burmese ex-president Win Myint, who is charged in this final part of the trial, received the same verdict as her and both will appeal, according to the same source.
Elections 2023?
In a helicopter rental case for a minister, Aung San Suu Kyi was accused of breaking the rules and causing “damage to the state”. The allegations of corruption are “ridiculous,” said Htwe Htwe Thein, an associate professor at Australia’s Curtin University. “There is not the slightest trace of corruption in Aung San Suu Kyi’s leadership, governance or lifestyle. “All her cases are closed, there are no further charges against her,” said the justice source, who asked not to be identified.
Corruption, voter fraud, breaches of state secrets and anti-Covid restrictions… Since the trial began in June 2021, Aung San Suu Kyi has been convicted of multiple crimes. The end of his 18-month trial, described as a sham by human rights groups, opens a new period of uncertainty in Burma, with the prospect of 2023 elections promised by the junta in a quest for legitimacy.