Myanmar (MNN) — Courts have convicted the ousted leader of Myanmar’s civilian government, Aung San Suu Kyi, for “inciting dissent.” The military took her into custody during the February coup.
If convicted of all charges leveled against her, she could spend the rest of her life in prison.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s past
This isn’t the first time Aung San Suu Kyi has been held by Myanmar’s military. In the 1990s and 2000s, she spent almost 15 total years in detention. She was afterward awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her role in bringing democratic elections to Myanmar.
Her party won an election by a landslide in 2015, and again in 2020. But the military, whose party took a beating in the election, declared fraud and seized power in early February.
The UN has rejected the trial as a sham, calling it another attempt to stifle democracy. Brian Dennett with AMG International says, “The courts are not at all impartial, and they really never have been. They are controlled by the army. The army, of course, wants any excuse whatsoever to imprison all of their opposition. They actually charged her with a statement that she could not have made because she had already been arrested by the military.”
Military control
Meanwhile, the military and police continue to attack civilians with impunity. Dennett says, “I’ve seen on the news several times where they mentioned this as a civil war. And it’s really not like that. It really is the military and the police kind of united against the people.”
Many Christians in Myanmar see this as an opportunity to share Jesus’ love with their neighbors. Dennett says, “Before the coup, there was a lot of tension, hatred, and mistrust between the different ethnic and religious groups. And what we’ve seen is some of these walls breaking down against the common enemy: the army.”
AMG sends food and other supplies into Myanmar. You can get involved or learn more here.
The header photo shows protestors in Myanmar holding up signs in support of Aung San Suu Kyi shortly after the coup. (Photo courtesy of Voice of America, Public Domain)
