Myanmar coup: Aung San Suu Kyi hit with sixth criminal charge
- The ousted civilian leader’s lawyer said she appears to be in good health under house arrest, after not being seen since the February 1 coup
- Protests continued in Mandalay and Kalay on Monday, the eve of Myanmar’s Buddhist new year celebrations
The 75-year-old Nobel laureate has not been seen in public since being detained in the early hours of February 1 when the military deposed her government and seized power.
The generals have used increasingly brutal methods to try to quell a growing protest movement against their rule, while Suu Kyi faces a raft of criminal charges that could see her barred for life from office.
“Amay Suu has been charged again under section 25 of the natural disaster management law,” lawyer Min Min Soe said after a court hearing in the capital Naypyidaw, where Suu Kyi appeared by video link.
“She has been charged in six cases altogether – five charges in Naypyidaw and one in Yangon.”
The most serious charge Suu Kyi faces falls under Myanmar’s official secrets laws.
Min Min Soe said Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest in Naypyidaw, appeared in good health but it is not clear if she has any idea of the turmoil that has unfolded in Myanmar over the past two months.
Near-daily protests seeking her release and the restoration of democracy have been met with rubber bullets, live rounds and even grenades by the security forces.