Attempt to suppress freedom: World reacts to Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s sentence

A Myanmar court on Monday sentenced the country’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to four years in prison after her guilty of incitement and violating coronavirus restrictions. The 76-year-old Nobel laureate is being prosecuted since the army seized power on February 1, preventing her National League for Democracy party from starting a second five-year term in office. She faces verdicts on other charges as early as next week.

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If found guilty in all the cases she faces, she could be sentenced to more than 100 years in prison. The court on Monday did not make clear whether Suu Kyi would be sent to prison for the two convictions or placed under house arrest, the legal official said. In her long struggle for democracy, she has served 15 years of house arrest starting in 1989.

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British foreign secretary Liz Truss described the verdict as an appalling attempt to suppress freedom and democracy.

“The United Kingdom calls on the regime to release political prisoners, engage in dialogue and allow a return to democracy. The arbitrary detention of elected politicians only risks further unrest,” she said. 

“As a friendly neighbour, we sincerely hope that all parties in Myanmar will proceed from the long-term interests of the country, bridge their differences under the constitutional and legal framework, and continue to advance the hard-earned democratic transition suitable for Myanmar’s national conditions,” he said in reply to a query at a regular briefing,” Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry said. 

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ASEAN parliamentarians described the charges as an excuse by the junta to justify their illegal power grab.

“Despite this most recent attempt to demonstrate their power, the Myanmar people continue to risk their lives every day to show that this ridiculous ruling is a travesty of justice. This sentencing is further evidence that, for the sake of its own credibility and future, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) must hold the line against this illegal takeover.”

“We continue our call for ASEAN to ban all junta representatives from its meetings, prevent junta generals from travelling in the region, and to engage with the duly-elected National Unity Government.”