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A court under the power of the Burmese junta, which has controlled Myanmar since the 2021 coup, sentenced the ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to another three years in prison and hard labor on Friday, September 2, for alleged electoral fraud. The sentence is added to more than 17 years in prison to which she was already sentenced, for controversial charges that aim to leave her out of power and undermine democracy, denounce human rights groups.
The Myanmar Army continues to add years in prison against the leader who overthrew on February 1, 2021.
Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to an additional three years in prison and hard labor. A court found her guilty this Friday, September 2, of alleged electoral fraud, in the elections that her party won against the candidates of the military institution in November 2020.
This is the first time that forced labor has been included in Suu Kyi’s sentence and it is unclear what it would entail.
A court in Myanmar has sentenced the country’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to three years’ imprisonment after finding her guilty of involvement in election fraud. The ruling adds more jail time to the 17 years she is already serving for other offences. https://t.co/ydCoQ8llr6
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 2, 2022
Since retaking power by force, the Burmese junta has justified its actions by allegedly registering “widespread fraud” at the polls.
However, independent election observers found no irregularities.
“Myanmar’s national election observers didn’t see that either… There were improvements to be made for sure, we still came a long way behind other democracies, in Myanmar, but did the board’s claims that 25% of the voters were fraudulent? This does not stand up to our scrutiny, for sure,” Amaël Vier, spokesperson for the Bangkok-based Asian Network for Free Elections, a nonpartisan poll watchdog group, said after learning of the new ruling.
The National League for Democracy, Suu Kyi’s political party, won a landslide victory, defeating a movement created by the powerful military.
At that time, the electoral results frustrated the political aspirations of the army’s chief general, Min Aung Hlaing. The military man led the seizure of power and now runs the country, while he keeps Suu Kyi imprisoned, as well as the deposed president Win Mying. The ousted president received the same sentence this Friday.
Many senior members of his party and government have also been jailed, while others have fled abroad.
The latest sentence adds to another 17 years in prison
Since being re-arrested by the military, Suu Kyi has received further sentences totaling more than 17 years behind bars, on charges of importing and illegally possessing walkie-talkies, violating Covid-19 restrictions and sedition.
The leader has been on trial for more than a year and continues to face multiple charges, ranging from corruption and incitement to leaks of official secrets. The combined maximum sentences for those charges could net him more than 190 years in prison.
The political leader and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize denies all allegations.
Their trials have been held behind closed doors in the capital, Naypyitaw, and the board’s statements on the proceedings have been limited. They have even imposed a gag order on Suu Kyi’s lawyers so that as little information as possible is disclosed.
Why would the Myanmar junta keep piling prison sentences on Aung San Suu Kyi? Because it is terrified of the pro-democracy movement that she might lead if she ever emerged from custody. https://t.co/jzDJjce32j
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) September 2, 2022
Pro-democracy activists and human rights organizations point out that with these convictions, the Army seeks to definitively leave the woman, who is currently 77 years old, out of politics.
“Why would the Myanmar junta keep piling up prison sentences against Aung San Suu Kyi? Because he is terrified of the pro-democracy movement he could lead if he were ever released from custody,” said Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch.
Suu Kyi’s supporters and political analysts also say that the military junta is trying to discredit her and legitimize her seizure of power.
Meanwhile, the military institution ensures that the detainee is receiving “due process.”
In response to a request by a United Nations official that Suu Kyi be allowed to return home, the junta leader said last month that he would consider putting her under house arrest, but only after all the verdicts in their cases.
With Reuters and AP
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