Last witness speaks at trial of Suu Kyi
May 28th, 2009
AP
YANGON, Myanmar -The sole witness allowed for pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi insisted Thursday that she had broken no law, as a Myanmar court heard final testimony before closing arguments in a trial that could send the Nobel Peace Prize laureate to prison for five years.
Kyi Win, a legal expert and a member of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party, argued there was no legal basis to the charge that Suu Kyi had violated the terms of her house arrest when an uninvited American swam secretly to her home.
Prosecutors seemed very unhappy at his testimony, Kyi Win told reporters outside the courtroom after the trial’s ninth day. Reporters were not allowed inside Thursday; they have been allowed in just twice.
The trial has drawn outrage from the international community and Suu Kyi’s local supporters, who worry that the military junta has found an excuse to keep her detained through next year’s elections. Her party won the last elections in 1990 but was not allowed to take power by the military, which has run the country since 1962.
Her six years of house arrest had been due to end Wednesday, but the American’s bizarre visit this month brought her arrest instead.
A Foreign Ministry statement carried Thursday by state-owned newspapers said the trial was strictly related to the rule of law and would “not have any political impact,” and the junta would therefore go ahead with next year’s elections. Critics say the polls are a fig leaf for continued military rule.
Suu Kyi’s defense team has acknowledged that 53-year-old John W. Yettaw swam to and sneaked into her lakeside home, where he stayed for two days. But they insist it was the duty of government guards outside her closely watched house to prevent any intruders.
Her lawyers are also strongly contesting the validity of the charges against Suu Kyi because the police who charged her cited a law that is part of the country’s 1974 constitution, which was annulled when the military took power in 1988. The country adopted a new charter last year.
The court at Yangon’s Insein Prison rejected three other defense witnesses Wednesday. It had approved 23 prosecution witnesses, and 14 of them testified.
The court is to recess on Friday and hear closing arguments from both sides on Monday, Kyi Win said.
Nyan Win, a lawyer for Suu Kyi, said the defense team would submit a letter Friday seeking permission for a private meeting with their clients on Saturday. Yettaw and two female party members who live with Suu Kyi face the same charge as Suu Kyi and have also pleaded not guilty.
Yettaw, of Falcon, Missouri, told the court Wednesday he had been sent by God to warn Suu Kyi of his premonition that she would be assassinated by terrorists, Nyan Win said.
Yettaw also secretly went to her house late last year but did not meet Suu Kyi.
Suu Kyi acknowledges that she allowed him to stay for two days this month because he said he was too tired and ill to leave immediately.
Yettaw also testified that security personnel observed him during both of his visits but did not try to stop him, Nyan Win said.
A man was arrested near Insein Prison on Thursday after he shouted for Suu Kyi’s release, witnesses said.
Supporters of Suu Kyi identified the protester as Zaw Nyunt, who they said was not a member of her party. They said he held up two signs calling for her release for only a few seconds before about a dozen junta supporters jumped on him and dragged him away.
comment:
David 3MYr3
11:18 AMMay 25 2009
She will testify, the defense will rest, the tribunal will retire for 5 min. and she will be found guilty on all charges, then sentenced to 20 years to life to live in the same isolation she is in now. Anything else, like not guilty, would be a complete shock.
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ThaungN
02:28 AMMay 25 2009
Of course, Burmese people themself have courage to topple such as devil regime.It’s not a big deal.They did the so-called strongman Newin regime in 1988 by nation wide general strike.Neither a US soldier nor foreigner troop help at that time.They’ll do the same toward wrongman Than Shwe when a good chance is seen.Sadly, a very big deal is that they cannot keep the country from anarchic situation without peace keeping troop or army.
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Ndbrooks12779050
01:45 AMMay 22 2009
What would you rather have China do, Sailor Storme? Take military action? The Myanmar junta has a fully-armed and well-trained army; any war would be both painful and difficult to wage. Place sanctions on Myanmar? That hasn’t affected them, so far. Try to talk to them in doing something about their country? Everyone else has tried that and got a hand to the face. The junta in Myanmar doesn’t give two ***** about what ANYONE, including China, thinks or does. Their response to the typhoon some time ago is proof enough. Like North Korea’s leaders, the Myanmar junta’s sole purpose is simply to exist and survive; there’s no politics or idealogy to it. China is certainly selfish, but calling it the personification of evil is just stupid; unlike in nations like Saudi Arabia, China’s government doesn’t do anything to people unless they to something against the government.
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Sailor Storme
09:46 AMMay 19 2009
What moral cowards the Chinese are. Shame. A once glorious culture of wisdom, history and art has turned into a gang of thugs who extort power and terror against their citizens and citizens of smaller, defenceless, non violent countries like Tibet – which makes me believe that the Myanmar government is funded by and controlled by China in facto > just as Hamas and Hizbolla are funded and controlled by Iran and Syria. The next time China has an earthquake or natural disaster > would be a good time for the International community to “look the other way”…………….just as Ban Ki Moon and the fraudulent UN does – regarding the corruption and terror suffocating Darfur, Somalia, Congo, Robert Mugabe, Iran, Myanmar, Tibet …………..China is the personification of evil, and should be barred from competing at the next Olympics, along with Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and all countries who REPRESS and deny freedom to their citizens. The Olympics was intended for honorable sportsmen,…
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