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Burma's Suu Kyi 'to face trial', shifted to prison
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by Amitjha | May 13, 2009 at 09:50 pm
147 views | 26 Recommendations | 8 comments
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Junta is not not ready to show any mercy on pro-democracy leader Aung San Su Kyi but leaves no opportunity to punish her. Latest incident of Junta's harsh action is all about an US man visit and charges of breaking immigration laws.
Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been charged with breaching the conditions of her detention under house arrest, her lawyer has said.
A US man whose uninvited visit to her home led to the charges has also been charged with immigration and security offences, the lawyer added.
Ms Suu Kyi will stand trial on 18 May, he said. She was taken to a prison from her home in Rangoon, where she has spent most of the past 19 years, to hear the charges.
The American man was arrested after swimming across a lake to her house. The charges are yet to be confirmed by the government.
But it looks as though this is a device to keep her detained until elections due in 2010 which the generals think will give them some legitimacy, says BBC South-East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head.
She was driven in a police convoy from her house to the prison, eyewitnesses said. The Nobel Peace laureate has been under house arrest for much of the past 19 years.
The latest detention began in May 2003, after clashes between opposition activists and supporters of Burma's (Myanmar) military government.
The house arrest was extended last year - a move which analysts say is illegal even under the junta's own legal limits. It is now due to expire at the end of May.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (8)
at 04:18 on May 14th, 2009
This is a really nasty development. And it spells real trouble for the future of Suu Kyi. But she also needs to suppport and train the newer leadership developiong in the Group of 88, so that she is no longer a one-person protest. But it must be difficult to change tack when you have been a prisoner for so long. Also, I respect the asdsessment of Jonathon Head - he knows what he is talking about.
at 04:26 on May 14th, 2009
You are right garry, first thing first the junta should be overthrown immediately.Only words will not help.
at 05:05 on May 14th, 2009
How's she gonna do that, when an unannounced visit by a man leads to charges?
at 04:20 on May 14th, 2009
Burma knows no boundaries.
We should get Aung San Suu Kyi out of there by force if needed and let her form a Government in Exile.
at 04:27 on May 14th, 2009
I agree Pachen, if one can vow to eliminate Taliban then why not Junta.
at 05:19 on May 14th, 2009
Until China and India plays their geo-political interest in South Asia democracy will be a dream. Nepal, Burma, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh everywhere these two countries are the culprits behind the conflicts.
at 21:42 on May 14th, 2009
Your assumption is noty totally baseless, these two mighty nations geopolitical interest is major reason behind that, but it is not the individual case.
at 09:10 on May 15th, 2009
If Suu Kyi was under house arrest, it was up to the authorities to prevent people from entering the compound, not the other way round. At least the UN human rights people are speaking out about this latest development.
"The United Nation's senior human rights official has called the continued detention of Aung San Suu Kyi, the country's pro-democracy leader, "illegal" and demanded that she be released.
Navi Pillay, the UN high commissioner for human rights, on Friday accused Myanmar's military leaders of persecuting the Nobel peace laureate" Al Jazeera English