Observers expect Khin Nyunt to be found guilty and receive death penalty
The trial of the former prime minister Khin Nyunt has begun inside the country's notorious Insein prison in Yangon. He was arraigned on eight charges on Wednesday and was told he could appoint a defence lawyer, according to government sources.
Details of the charges against the former intelligence chief have not yet emerged but diplomats believe he probably faces allegations of corruption and insubordination.
Total secrecy and massive security surrounds the trial.
'The junta is totally tight-lipped over the whereabouts of Khin Nyunt and are desperate to keep the whole charade under wraps,' an Asian diplomat in Yangon said.
Myanmese legal experts said, however, the former government leader is almost certain to face the death penalty in a trial that is scheduled to start in earnest next Tuesday. Three Supreme Court judges are appearing in a special court set up inside Insein prison.
Khin Nyunt's two sons have already been tried in a special court in the prison. The first, Ye Naing Win, a businessman and owner of the independent internet provider Bagan Cybertech, was charged with 33 counts of economic crimes, infringements of currency exchange regulations and corruption. The second, military officer Zaw Naing Oo, has been tried on more than 10 charges.