Aung San Suu Kyi turns to Supreme Court to have house arrest sentence overturned
Yangon (AsiaNews/Agencies – Lawyers representing Aung San Suu Kyi filed an appeal before the Supreme Court of Myanmar against the sentence of house arrest imposed by a court in Yangon on 11 August. The leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) is set to release a statement on 17 November, announcing guidelines that should strengthen the path towards democracy in the country.
In August, a court in Yangon found Aung San Suu Kyi guilty of breaking the terms of her house arrest by giving hospitality to a US national, John Yettaw, after he entered her house illegally with the probable complicity of guards and junta leaders. The military rulers have been trying to find a pretext to exclude Ms Suu Kyi from taking part in next year’s elections.
Judges had initially sentenced her to three years of hard labour, but junta chief General Than Shwe commuted the sentence to 18 months of house arrest.
“We submitted the appeal petition to the Supreme Court. Now we must wait to find out whether the court will agree to hear the case,” Kyi Win, head of Suu Kyi's legal team. “We hope for the best.”
The appeal comes a few days before a possible meeting between US President Barack Obama and Myanmar’s military strongman, General Than Shwe, set to take place next Sunday on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Singapore.
Yesterday US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on military-ruled Myanmar to free the 64-year-old Suu Kyi, who has been in detention for 14 of the past 20 years.
On 17 November, Aung San Suu Kyi is expected to release a statement setting out the guidelines for a better future in Burma, National League for Democracy spokesperson Nyan Win said after a meeting with the party leader.
Further details about the statement are not forthcoming but Nyan Win said it was something “that could bring a positive outcome” for Burma, after decades of harsh military rule.
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