PRETEXTUAL CHARGE AGAINST NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
LAUREATE AUNG SAN SUU KYI
Washington, D.C. – Freedom Now has confirmed the news that Burmese
democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been ordered to report to court
tomorrow morning at 9 am Rangoon time to face charges relating to the breaking
into her compound of the U.S. citizen who swam across Inya Lake.
This pretextual charge comes, not coincidentally, as Ms. Suu Kyi approaches the
six-year anniversary of her detention under house arrest on May 27, 2009.
Although the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ruled in Opinion No.
46/2008 that Ms. Suu Kyi’s detention was a clear violation of Burmese and
international law -- Burma’s State Protection Law 1975 prohibits house arrest
beyond a period of five years -- the junta has argued publicly that the maximum
period for detention is six years. Under its analysis, therefore, the junta should
have been scheduled to release her on May 27, 2009.
According to her Burmese lawyer U Kyi Win, authorities claim the incident to be
a breach of Ms. Suu Kyi’s house arrest conditions, where she is prohibited from
inviting visitors to her home. But Ms. Suu Kyi had no idea that he was coming
and even encouraged him to leave. “Daw Suu told him to go back, but he
didn’t,” said U Kyi Win. “He said he was so tired and wanted to rest, but she
pleaded with him. Then he slept overnight on the ground floor,” he added.
Should she be convicted of this offense, she is potentially subject to three
additional years of imprisonment under Article 22 of the State Protection Law.
“We unequivocally condemn this transparent attempt by the Burmese junta to
cloak its ongoing detention of Aung San Suu Kyi in a veil of legitimacy,” said
Jared Genser, lead international counsel for Ms. Suu Kyi. “Their excuse for her
detention was about to expire and it is crystal clear that this charge is patently
ridiculous.”
This news comes days after Ms. Suu Kyi began recovering from health
problems, including dehydration and low blood pressure
Freedom Now was retained in mid-2006 by a member of Ms. Suu Kyi’s
family to serve as her international counsel.
democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been ordered to report to court
tomorrow morning at 9 am Rangoon time to face charges relating to the breaking
into her compound of the U.S. citizen who swam across Inya Lake.
This pretextual charge comes, not coincidentally, as Ms. Suu Kyi approaches the
six-year anniversary of her detention under house arrest on May 27, 2009.
Although the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ruled in Opinion No.
46/2008 that Ms. Suu Kyi’s detention was a clear violation of Burmese and
international law -- Burma’s State Protection Law 1975 prohibits house arrest
beyond a period of five years -- the junta has argued publicly that the maximum
period for detention is six years. Under its analysis, therefore, the junta should
have been scheduled to release her on May 27, 2009.
According to her Burmese lawyer U Kyi Win, authorities claim the incident to be
a breach of Ms. Suu Kyi’s house arrest conditions, where she is prohibited from
inviting visitors to her home. But Ms. Suu Kyi had no idea that he was coming
and even encouraged him to leave. “Daw Suu told him to go back, but he
didn’t,” said U Kyi Win. “He said he was so tired and wanted to rest, but she
pleaded with him. Then he slept overnight on the ground floor,” he added.
Should she be convicted of this offense, she is potentially subject to three
additional years of imprisonment under Article 22 of the State Protection Law.
“We unequivocally condemn this transparent attempt by the Burmese junta to
cloak its ongoing detention of Aung San Suu Kyi in a veil of legitimacy,” said
Jared Genser, lead international counsel for Ms. Suu Kyi. “Their excuse for her
detention was about to expire and it is crystal clear that this charge is patently
ridiculous.”
This news comes days after Ms. Suu Kyi began recovering from health
problems, including dehydration and low blood pressure
Freedom Now was retained in mid-2006 by a member of Ms. Suu Kyi’s
family to serve as her international counsel.
