26 December, 2022: Will the fate of the Nobel peace prize winning leader be decided next week ? Read to know about Aung San Suu Kyi and the background to this story.
The conclusion of Aung San Suu Kyi's 18-month trial could be announced by a Myanmar junta court next week, marking the end of the military's long-running conflict with the democracy champion.
The 77-year-old Nobel laureate has previously been found guilty on 14 counts, including corruption, importing walkie-talkies without authorization, and violating the official secrets act. Since the start of her trial, she has only been photographed once by the state media in an empty courtroom, and has relied on her attorneys to communicate with the outside world.
Since Suu Kyi's civilian government was overthrown by military leaders last year, the nation has been in complete anarchy, which is a state of total chaos. Today, she will present her closing arguments in relation to the final five corruption-related charges, and judgements are expected shortly after. In order to put an end to a false trial, the court could sentence her to an additional 75 years in jail in addition to the 26 years for which she has already been found guilty.
Read the ReferencePepper to know more about Suu Kyi and the controversy:
The junta is "unlikely" to level further accusations, according to Richard Horsey of the International Crisis Group. Soe Myint Aung, an analyst said there was “always a possibility of an unexpected pardon and release” for Suu Kyi once her trial was finished.
Suu Kyi has been denied access to her domestic staff and pet dog Taichido while being held captive in a complex in the nation's capital Naypyidaw, adjacent to the courthouse where her trial is taking place. It is wildly uncertain as to whether the ex-leader will surrender in exchange for a pardon or freedom.
In response to a question about whether the military would consider holding negotiations with Suu Kyi to find a solution to the problem caused by its coup, junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun responded in July, "There is nothing impossible in politics."
Horsey added that it was also "unlikely" that the generals would permit her to go back to the lakeside colonial estate her family owned in Yangon, where she spent about 15 years under house arrest following her victory in the 1990 election. She delivered speeches to audiences on the other side of her garden wall on a regular basis throughout that time, and for her nonviolent opposition to the authoritarian military, she rose to become a global democracy symbol.
Any elections staged by the current regime would be a "sham," according to the United States. Major ally and arms supplier Russia has stated that it supports the military's aim to organize elections in 2019. According to analysts and diplomatic sources, Thailand, India, and China, which are neighbors, may also offer their approval.