Junta trial of Myanmar's Suu Kyi closes
A Myanmar junta court wrapped up its trial of ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday, a legal source told AFP news agency, with the Nobel laureate jailed for a total of 33 years. A prisoner of the military since the 2021 coup, Suu Kyi, 77, has been convicted on every charge levelled against her, ranging from corruption to illegally possessing walkie-talkies and flouting Covid restrictions. On Friday she was found guilty on five counts of corruption related to the hiring, purchase and maintenance of a helicopter that had caused a "loss to the state", the source said. "All her cases were finished and there are no more charges against her," said the source, who requested anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media. Suu Kyi – who has now been jailed for 33 years following an 18-month trial that rights groups have dismissed as a sham – appeared in good health, the source added. Journalists have been barred from attending the court hearings and Suu Kyi's lawyers have been banned from speaking to the media. Suu Kyi would appeal the latest verdicts, the source said. Since her trial began, she has been seen only once – in grainy state media photos from a bare courtroom – and has been reliant on lawyers to relay messages to the world. Many in Myanmar's democracy struggle, which Suu Kyi has dominated for decades, have abandoned her core principle of non-violence, with "People's Defence Forces" clashing regularly with the military across the country. Last week the United Nations Security Council called on the junta to release Suu Kyi in its first resolution on the situation in Myanmar since the coup. Permanent members China and Russia abstained, opting not to wield vetoes following amendments to the wording. (AFP)