Myanmar’s Detained leader Suu Kyi Meets Lawyer for the First Time
By The Irrawaddy 31 March 2021
Myanmar’s ousted leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi met her lawyer for the first time since her detention two months ago and is in good health, her lawyer said.
The State Counselor has been under house arrest since the military’s Feb 1 coup.
The meeting via video on Wednesday came one day prior to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s latest court hearing. The meeting happened after the regime last week approved two junior lawyers from her legal defense team to represent her in court.
“She is in good health. She even urged us to stay healthy. She was smiling and looked relaxed,” said Daw Min Min Soe, the lawyer who spoke with her on Wednesday.
The lawyer said that during the meeting Daw Aung San Suu Kyi requested the regime to allow her to meet her lawyers in person, as she is not comfortable talking via video.
Daw Min Min Soe said Daw Aung San Suu Kyi also agreed for other lawyers from the defense team to represent her in court because of the growing number of cases filed against her.
So far, the junta has filed four charges against her under Article 25 of the Natural Disaster Management Law for allegedly interacting with a crowd during the coronavirus pandemic, Article 8 of the Export and Import Law for alleged possession of unlicensed walkie-talkies and other foreign equipment and Article 67 of the Telecommunications Law and Article 505(b) of the Penal Code for sedition.
The regime has also announced that corruption probes against the State Counselor are under way. She has been accused of accepting money and gold from the ousted Yangon chief minister and a businessman.
Her Thursday court hearing will be conducted via video. Her previous two hearings were both cancelled due to the regime’s internet blackouts.
Since the coup protests have erupted daily across Myanmar, with anti-regime demonstrators demanding the restoration of democracy and the release of the country’s democratically-elected leaders and all others arrested.
However, the regime has responded to the protesters with lethal force, killing nearly 500 civilians so far.
The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency session on Myanmar on Wednesday.
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