Court in Myanmar adds 3 years to Suu Kyi’s jail term

A court in Myanmar has convicted the country’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi on two more corruption charges, adding to previous convictions that now leave her with a 26-year total prison term.

A judiciary official said on Wednesday the 77-year-old Suu Kyi, who was detained by the ruling junta on Feb. 1, 2021, was handed two concurrent three-year sentences for receiving a total of $550,000 in 2019 and 2020 as a bribe from Maung Weik, a tycoon convicted of drug trafficking.

Prior to this, Suu Kyi, who has always denied any wrongdoing, had already been sentenced to 23 years in prison after being convicted of illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies, violating coronavirus restrictions, breaching the country’s official secrets act, sedition, election fraud and five corruption charges.

Suu Kyi’s supporters and independent analysts say the charges are politically motivated and an attempt to discredit her and legitimize the junta’s seizure of power while keeping her away from the political scene.

She has not been seen or allowed to speak in public since she was arrested, and her lawyers, who had been a source of information on the proceedings, were no longer allowed to speak publicly on her behalf or about her trial after a gag order was placed on them last year.

Since the coup, the junta has been enforcing a strict media crackdown in Myanmar.

Myanmar’s military forces were also involved in a campaign of genocide against Muslim Rohingya that started in 2017 during the rule of Suu Kyi, who was supported by the West. The military has been accused of ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya Muslims and other minority groups in the country.

SS