Myanmar military denies coup, as police file new charge against Suu Kyi
- A spokesman for the ruling council says the military ‘guarantees’ it will hold a new election and hand power to the winning party
- The comments come as Myanmar police file a new charge against detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi over Covid-19 regulations, her lawyer says
Lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told reporters after meeting a judge in a court in the capital Naypyidaw, that Suu Kyi had been charged with violating Article 25 of the Natural Disaster Management Law, which has been used to prosecute people who have broken coronavirus restrictions.
Suu Kyi, who was arrested following a military coup on February 1, has already been charged with possessing walkie-talkies that were imported without being registered.
Ousted President Win Myint was charged under the same law when he and Suu Kyi, who held the top government post with the title of state counsellor, were detained during the army’s takeover.
The maximum punishment for the Covid-19 violation is three years’ imprisonment. However, the new charge may allow Suu Kyi to be held indefinitely without trial because a change in the Penal Code instituted by the junta last week permits detention without court permission.
The move came as Myanmar’s junta on Tuesday again defended its takeover in the face of nationwide protests, dismissing the impact of US sanctions while showing no signs of a compromise with demonstrators.