Unfair Court Trial Update (July 23 & 24)
Jul 26th, 2009
News Update: Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s Message to the United Nations and Final Argument to the Court
Location: A Special Court in Insein Prison, Rangoon, Burma
Date: July 24, 2009
July 23
Today, the legal team of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi met her at the detention house in the compound of Insein Prison to finalize the preparation of her final argument. Apart from the legal matter, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi expressed her view on the stand of United Nations on the country’s political issue during her meeting with her legal team. She said that the UN should proclaim that the 2010 election will not be fair and credible if [the SPDC] doesn’t carry out national reconciliation process.
July 24
The Special Court setting up at the compound of Insein Prison in Rangoon started to hear the final argument of both the prosecutors and the defendants’ lawyers on the case of John William Yettaw’s intrusion into the residence of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at 2 p.m. local time. The judge made an arrangement of hearing the final arguments in order. First, the defendants’ lawyers have to present their final arguments on behalf of the defendants such as Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Daw Khin Khin Win, Daw Win Ma Ma and Mr. Yettaw. After that, the prosecutors will present their arguments.
On behalf of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, her lawyer U Kyi Win read out his 30-page final argument to the court. As the court is scheduled to restart at 2 p.m. on Friday, the legal team of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was aware that it is not possible to present the final arguments for their three defendants and viewed that this arrangement allowed the prosecutors to get more time to prepare for their final arguments after hearing all the defendants’ arguments.
In view of the defendants’ lawyers, U Kyi Win could manage to complete the reading of his 30-page long final arguments for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at 4: 45 p.m. After that, the court was adjourned to Monday on July 27. The defendants’ legal team viewed that it would be fair if both side’s final arguments were arranged to be able to present within the same day.
As the judges heard only the final argument for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, they have yet to hear the final arguments of the other three defendants in her case. Lawyer U Hla Myo Myint will present the final argument for Daw Khin Khin Win and Daw Win Ma Ma, and lawyer U Khin Maung Oo will do for Mr. Yettaw. Furthermore, Mr. Yettaw has two other cases for breaching the immigration law and the Water Supply and Sanitation Rules (40) of the Yangon City Development Council for swimming in Inya Lake without permission.
Only after all of these final arguments have been presented to the court, the government prosecutors will present their final arguments. Therefore, it can be concluded that the court favors a good opportunity for government prosecutors to get more time to prepare for counter arguments of the defendants.
After today hearing, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said to her lawyers that she was not satisfied with the court’s arrangement for this court section. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi again expressed her desire that she wants to make the truth of her case known [to the public] without hurting anybody.