Myanmar’s Suu Kyi Hit With Two New Criminal Charges

Ousted Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi was hit with two
new criminal charges when she appeared in court via video link on
Monday, a month after a military coup triggered relentless and
massive protests.

Suu Kyi has not been seen since being detained on February 1,
and her appearance came as demonstrators took to the streets again
across the country in defiance of an escalation of deadly force
from the junta.

At least 18 people died on Sunday as troops and police fired
live bullets at demonstrators in cities across Myanmar, according
to the United Nations, which cited its own credible
information.

Suu Kyi, 75, was already facing obscure criminal charges for
possessing unlicensed walkie-talkies, as well as violating
coronavirus restrictions by staging a campaign event during last
year’s election.

She is now also accused of a violation of communications laws as
well as intent to incite public unrest, her lawyer Khin Maung Zaw
said.

“We can not say for sure how many more cases Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi will face in this period,” he told reporters in Naypyidaw.

“Anything can happen in this country at this time.”

Myanmar’s ousted president Win Myint is also facing the same
intent to incite public unrest charge in addition to coronavirus
restriction breaches.

Suu Kyi has reportedly been kept under house arrest in
Naypyidaw, an isolated city that the military built during a
previous dictatorship.

The military has justified its takeover, ending a decade-long
democratic experiment, by making unfounded allegations of
widespread fraud in last November’s national elections.

Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won the election in a
landslide.

The generals have hit Suu Kyi with two charges the international
community widely regards as frivolous — relating to importing
walkie talkies and staging a campaign rally during the
pandemic.

Monday’s court proceedings were preliminary matters in the case,
including with Khin Maung Zaw seeking to formally represent
her.

Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to streets regularly
over the past month to oppose the coup.

While the military has steadily increased the type of force used
to try to contain the uprising, beginning with tear gas and water
cannons, this weekend’s violence saw the biggest escalation.

One person was shot while crouching behind rubbish bins and
other makeshift shields, and had to be dragged away by others, with
the incident filmed by media.

AFP independently confirmed 10 deaths in Sunday’s violence,
although there were fears the toll could be much higher.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a reliable
monitoring group, estimated that about 30 people had been killed by
security forces since the coup on February 1.

On Monday, protests erupted again in multiple cities across the
country, with demonstrators in Yangon using bamboo poles, sofas and
tree branches to erect barricades across streets.

In one clash broadcast live on Facebook and verified by AFP,
unarmed protesters fled after a volley of shots were fired.

It was not immediately clear if the security forces had fired
live rounds or rubber bullets.

Hundreds of people were also arrested over the weekend with many
in Yangon taken to Insein Prison, where Myanmar’s leading democracy
campaigners have served long jail terms under previous
dictatorships.

More than 1,100 people have been arrested, charged, or sentenced
since the coup, according to The Assistance Association for
Political Prisoners.

One reporter was also shot with rubber bullets on the weekend
while covering a protest in the central city of Pyay, their
employer said.

Several journalists documenting Saturday’s assaults by security
forces were detained, including an Associated Press photographer in
Yangon.

“We strongly condemn the escalating violence against protests in
Myanmar and call on the military to immediately halt the use of
force against peaceful protesters,” Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman
for the UN human rights office, said.

The United States has been one of the most outspoken critics of
the junta, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken also reacted with
horror after Sunday’s violence.

“We condemn the Burmese security forces’ abhorrent violence
against the people of Burma & will continue to promote
accountability for those responsible,” Blinken tweeted, using the
country’s old name.

Ousted Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi was hit with two
new criminal charges when she appeared in court via video link on
Monday, a month after a military coup triggered relentless and
massive protests.

Suu Kyi has not been seen since being detained on February 1,
and her appearance came as demonstrators took to the streets again
across the country in defiance of an escalation of deadly force
from the junta.

At least 18 people died on Sunday as troops and police fired
live bullets at demonstrators in cities across Myanmar, according
to the United Nations, which cited its own credible
information.

Suu Kyi, 75, was already facing obscure criminal charges for
possessing unlicensed walkie-talkies, as well as violating
coronavirus restrictions by staging a campaign event during last
year’s election.

She is now also accused of a violation of communications laws as
well as intent to incite public unrest, her lawyer Khin Maung Zaw
said.

“We can not say for sure how many more cases Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi will face in this period,” he told reporters in Naypyidaw.

“Anything can happen in this country at this time.”

Myanmar’s ousted president Win Myint is also facing the same
intent to incite public unrest charge in addition to coronavirus
restriction breaches.

Suu Kyi has reportedly been kept under house arrest in
Naypyidaw, an isolated city that the military built during a
previous dictatorship.

The military has justified its takeover, ending a decade-long
democratic experiment, by making unfounded allegations of
widespread fraud in last November’s national elections.

Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won the election in a
landslide.

The generals have hit Suu Kyi with two charges the international
community widely regards as frivolous — relating to importing
walkie talkies and staging a campaign rally during the
pandemic.

Monday’s court proceedings were preliminary matters in the case,
including with Khin Maung Zaw seeking to formally represent
her.

Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to streets regularly
over the past month to oppose the coup.

While the military has steadily increased the type of force used
to try to contain the uprising, beginning with tear gas and water
cannons, this weekend’s violence saw the biggest escalation.

One person was shot while crouching behind rubbish bins and
other makeshift shields, and had to be dragged away by others, with
the incident filmed by media.

AFP independently confirmed 10 deaths in Sunday’s violence,
although there were fears the toll could be much higher.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a reliable
monitoring group, estimated that about 30 people had been killed by
security forces since the coup on February 1.

On Monday, protests erupted again in multiple cities across the
country, with demonstrators in Yangon using bamboo poles, sofas and
tree branches to erect barricades across streets.

In one clash broadcast live on Facebook and verified by AFP,
unarmed protesters fled after a volley of shots were fired.

It was not immediately clear if the security forces had fired
live rounds or rubber bullets.

Hundreds of people were also arrested over the weekend with many
in Yangon taken to Insein Prison, where Myanmar’s leading democracy
campaigners have served long jail terms under previous
dictatorships.

More than 1,100 people have been arrested, charged, or sentenced
since the coup, according to The Assistance Association for
Political Prisoners.

One reporter was also shot with rubber bullets on the weekend
while covering a protest in the central city of Pyay, their
employer said.

Several journalists documenting Saturday’s assaults by security
forces were detained, including an Associated Press photographer in
Yangon.

“We strongly condemn the escalating violence against protests in
Myanmar and call on the military to immediately halt the use of
force against peaceful protesters,” Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman
for the UN human rights office, said.

The United States has been one of the most outspoken critics of
the junta, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken also reacted with
horror after Sunday’s violence.

“We condemn the Burmese security forces’ abhorrent violence
against the people of Burma & will continue to promote
accountability for those responsible,” Blinken tweeted, using the
country’s old name.