Aung San Suu Kyi Denies All Charges

Aung San Suu Kyi is adamant. She did not violate the terms of her house arrest. This is what she told the judge on Wednesday at a session in the former capital Yangon’s notorious Insein prison.

It was the first time the 63-year-old had taken the stand since being charged with breaching the terms of her restriction order earlier this month.

Mark Canning, Britain’s ambassador to Myanmar, attended the hearing. He told the BBC that Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader had thanked the diplomats for coming and for their visible indication of concern.

“It was a short session,” he explained. “It lasted about 50 minutes. She looked fine. She was in charge of her defence team and it was interesting to note that the judges I think showed her a certain degree of deference also.”

US veteran makes controversial visit

On May 4, an American army veteran, John Yettaw, swam across a lake to get to Suu Kyi’s house. He spent two days there.

Yettaw has since said he wanted to warn Suu Kyi of an assassination attempt of which he had had a vision.

When asked about the visit, Suu Kyi said she did not know why he had come to her house and suggested the judge should ask the man himself since he was also sitting in the courtroom.

Suu Kyi also told the court she had allowed the man temporary shelter when asked if she had given him food and allowed him to stay.

She stated Yettaw had left shortly before midnight the next day and had made his way towards the lakeside but she did not know in what direction because it was dark.

Before the session had begun, Brigadier General Myint Thein from the home ministry told reporters and diplomats that the junta had been considering releasing Suu Kyi but this incident had changed the situation.

Lawyers say trial is a sham ahead of 2010 elections

Suu Kyi’s lawyers and many observers in the West think the trial is a sham ahead of next year’s elections. They believe the junta wants to keep the popular leader of Myanmar’s National League for Democracy behind bars so she cannot participate in the elections.

Aung Sang Suu Kyi’s lawyers are worried that the verdict has already been written. If found guilty, she could face up to five years in jail.

Before the session on Tuesday, they were angry that they had not been allowed to meet their client to discuss the proceedings and her defence.

ASEM calls for release of political prisoners

On Tuesday, foreign ministers of Asia and Europe meeting in Hanoi issued a statement condemning the generals and urging them to release all political prisoners.

British junior foreign minister Bill Rammell said he detected a shift in the way the regional neighbours were looking at the issue, which previously many had “approached from the point of view of sovereignty”.

"The significant flow of refugees from that country is beginning to impact on a number of the regional members and as I say I think there's a change in tone and we need to push that forward further."

But the representative from the Chinese foreign ministry meanwhile stuck to the same tune: “Legal sovereignty and Burma’s independence should be respected with regard to the trial against Suu Kyi. China’s principle of not getting involved in the domestic matters of other countries has not changed and will remain unchanged in the future.”

Myanmar’s junta recently criticised Thailand for meddling in its domestic affairs. It also seems unperturbed by Western threats to impose tougher sanctions.

Author: Anne Thomas
Editor: Thomas Bärthlein