From the Australian via AFP-
Aung San Suu Kyi verdict delayed
From correspondents in Rangoon, Burma July 31, 2009
Article from: Agence France-Presse
A COURT in military-ruled Burma has postponed the verdict in the case of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi until August 11, her lawyers and diplomats say.
"The verdict date is now August 11. The reason the judges gave is that they have to review the case again,'' said a foreign diplomat who attended today's brief hearing at Rangoon's notorious Insein prison.
Suu Kyi's lawyer Nyan Win confirmed the postponement.
"The court said they have to consider legal problems, that's why they said they will give the verdict on August 11,'' Nyan Win, who is also the spokesman for her National League for Democracy, said.
"We are not surprised. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was also not surprised,'' he said.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Police mass in Rangoon
From AP-
Myanmar police ring court ahead of Suu Kyi verdict
(AP)
YANGON, Myanmar — Riot police sealed off the court trying Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in military-run Myanmar ahead of Friday's verdict that could send the frail icon of democracy to prison for up to five years.
The 64-year-old opposition leader is charged with violating the terms of her house arrest by harboring an American man who swam to her house uninvited.
Security was heightened for the high-profile verdict, with teams of riot police stationed nearby and all roads leading to the prison blocked by barbed-wire barricades.
Suu Kyi's lawyers remained cautiously hopeful as they headed into the tightly guarded court at Insein Prison.
"The charges against our client are not strong and we are confident that we will win if things go according to the law," said lawyer Nyan Win, who said a day earlier that Suu Kyi was "preparing for the worst" and stocking up on medicine and reading material in case she is sent to prison.
Suu Kyi is charged with violating the terms of her lengthy house arrest when an American intruder swam across a lake and spent two nights at her home in May. Her trial has drawn international condemnation since it opened May 18 and many critics see it as a pretext to keeping her behind bars through the country's planned elections next year.
She is widely expected to be convicted, although there has been speculation she may stay under house arrest rather than serve time in jail. Suu Kyi has been in detention for 14 of the last 20 years, since leading a pro-democracy uprising in 1988 that was crushed by Myanmar's military junta.
A verdict will also be given Friday for the uninvited American visitor, John Yettaw, 53, and two women who lived with Suu Kyi — Khin Khin Win and her daughter Win Ma Ma — and face charges similar to hers. Yettaw is charged as an abettor in violating her house arrest and faces up to five years in prison.
If convicted, the charismatic mother of two will return to an isolated life, her days filled with meditation, reading books and getting the occasional censored letters. Knowing she could be put behind bars, Suu Kyi provided her lawyers with a list of requested items, which they were able to bring her, Nyan Win said.
"She is collecting some medicine and many books in English, French and Burmese," he said.
Suu Kyi's lawyers have not contested the basic facts of the case but argued that the law used by authorities against her is invalid because it applies to a constitution abolished two decades ago. They also say that government security guards stationed outside Suu Kyi's compound should be held responsible for any intrusion.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters in New York on Wednesday that he hopes the government will respond to his repeated appeals to free Suu Kyi.
But neither outside pressure nor the possibility of better economic and political ties with the West has deterred the ruling junta, which appears determined to find Suu Kyi out of the public eye.
Suu Kyi's party won national elections in 1990, but Myanmar's generals refused to relinquish power. Next year's promised elections will be the first in two decades.
Myanmar police ring court ahead of Suu Kyi verdict
(AP)
YANGON, Myanmar — Riot police sealed off the court trying Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in military-run Myanmar ahead of Friday's verdict that could send the frail icon of democracy to prison for up to five years.
The 64-year-old opposition leader is charged with violating the terms of her house arrest by harboring an American man who swam to her house uninvited.
Security was heightened for the high-profile verdict, with teams of riot police stationed nearby and all roads leading to the prison blocked by barbed-wire barricades.
Suu Kyi's lawyers remained cautiously hopeful as they headed into the tightly guarded court at Insein Prison.
"The charges against our client are not strong and we are confident that we will win if things go according to the law," said lawyer Nyan Win, who said a day earlier that Suu Kyi was "preparing for the worst" and stocking up on medicine and reading material in case she is sent to prison.
Suu Kyi is charged with violating the terms of her lengthy house arrest when an American intruder swam across a lake and spent two nights at her home in May. Her trial has drawn international condemnation since it opened May 18 and many critics see it as a pretext to keeping her behind bars through the country's planned elections next year.
She is widely expected to be convicted, although there has been speculation she may stay under house arrest rather than serve time in jail. Suu Kyi has been in detention for 14 of the last 20 years, since leading a pro-democracy uprising in 1988 that was crushed by Myanmar's military junta.
A verdict will also be given Friday for the uninvited American visitor, John Yettaw, 53, and two women who lived with Suu Kyi — Khin Khin Win and her daughter Win Ma Ma — and face charges similar to hers. Yettaw is charged as an abettor in violating her house arrest and faces up to five years in prison.
If convicted, the charismatic mother of two will return to an isolated life, her days filled with meditation, reading books and getting the occasional censored letters. Knowing she could be put behind bars, Suu Kyi provided her lawyers with a list of requested items, which they were able to bring her, Nyan Win said.
"She is collecting some medicine and many books in English, French and Burmese," he said.
Suu Kyi's lawyers have not contested the basic facts of the case but argued that the law used by authorities against her is invalid because it applies to a constitution abolished two decades ago. They also say that government security guards stationed outside Suu Kyi's compound should be held responsible for any intrusion.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters in New York on Wednesday that he hopes the government will respond to his repeated appeals to free Suu Kyi.
But neither outside pressure nor the possibility of better economic and political ties with the West has deterred the ruling junta, which appears determined to find Suu Kyi out of the public eye.
Suu Kyi's party won national elections in 1990, but Myanmar's generals refused to relinquish power. Next year's promised elections will be the first in two decades.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tight Security around Insein
From The Irrawaddy (edited)-
Security Increased for Suu Kyi Verdict
By SAW YAN NAING
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Security was strengthened around Insein Prison in Rangoon on Wednesday morning, and shopkeepers nearby have been ordered to close on Friday, the day the verdict is scheduled in the trial of detained Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Two police battalions have joined security forces stationed around the prison in preparation for a possible crackdown on protests, according to the sources in Rangoon, who said the authorities were worried about possible protests.
Riot police officers stand guard at a check point on the approach road leading to the main entrance of Insein Prison. Dozens of Suu Kyi’s supporters have regularly gathered outside Insein Prison on each day of the trial.
Prominent opposition leader Win Tin, an executive of the opposition National League for Democracy, has joined the gatherings.
On Tuesday, Win Tin said he went outside Insein Prison and stayed for about 40 minutes to show his support for his colleague, Suu Kyi.
The final arguments for Suu Kyi’s trial ended on Tuesday, and the verdict is to be announced on Friday.
Diplomats said they heard Suu Kyi comment, “I'm afraid the verdict will be painfully obvious,” in court, according to an Associated Press report.
After Tuesday’s final session, Suu Kyi told her lawyer, Nyan Win, that the proceedings would show “whether or not the rule of law exists in the country.”
Security Increased for Suu Kyi Verdict
By SAW YAN NAING
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Security was strengthened around Insein Prison in Rangoon on Wednesday morning, and shopkeepers nearby have been ordered to close on Friday, the day the verdict is scheduled in the trial of detained Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Two police battalions have joined security forces stationed around the prison in preparation for a possible crackdown on protests, according to the sources in Rangoon, who said the authorities were worried about possible protests.
Riot police officers stand guard at a check point on the approach road leading to the main entrance of Insein Prison. Dozens of Suu Kyi’s supporters have regularly gathered outside Insein Prison on each day of the trial.
Prominent opposition leader Win Tin, an executive of the opposition National League for Democracy, has joined the gatherings.
On Tuesday, Win Tin said he went outside Insein Prison and stayed for about 40 minutes to show his support for his colleague, Suu Kyi.
The final arguments for Suu Kyi’s trial ended on Tuesday, and the verdict is to be announced on Friday.
Diplomats said they heard Suu Kyi comment, “I'm afraid the verdict will be painfully obvious,” in court, according to an Associated Press report.
After Tuesday’s final session, Suu Kyi told her lawyer, Nyan Win, that the proceedings would show “whether or not the rule of law exists in the country.”
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Verdict expected Friday
From the Guardian-
Aung San Suu Kyi verdict due on Friday
Trial of Burma's pro-democracy leader, facing up to five years in jail, comes to end
The trial of Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi ended today with the judge announcing he will deliver his verdict by the end of the week.
The Nobel peace prize laureate is charged with breaking the terms of her house arrest by allowing an American man to spend two nights at her home in May. She faces up to five years in prison if found guilty.
Last-ditch attempts to call Nyunt Maung Shein, Burma's former ambassador to the UN, to testify in court were rejected.
Government officials and diplomats said the judge, Thaung Nyunt, had ended the trial and announced there would be a ruling on Friday. There has been little word yet on today's proceedings. The media have been banned from the most of the trial, although diplomats from Japan, Singapore, Thailand and the US were allowed to attend today.
An official told Reuters that Aung San Suu Kyi's trial had been completed, but cases against three other defendants were continuing.
"We have done our best and she is prepared for the worst," her lawyer, Nyan Win, told reporters. "We don't want to speculate, but we will keep exploring all legal avenues."
The end of the trial came as Amnesty International awarded Aung San Suu Kyi its highest accolade, the title of ambassador of conscience, for leading the democracy struggle in Burma.
"Aung San Suu Kyi has remained a symbol of hope, courage and the undying defence of human rights, not only to the people of Myanmar but to people around the world," Amnesty's secretary general, Irene Khan, said.
The rock band U2 was due to announce the award at a concert in Dublin last night.
John Yettaw, a Vietnam veteran who was described by his wife as eccentric, said he swam across a lake to her home because he wanted to warn her that she was about to be assassinated by "terrorists".
Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been detained for 14 of the past 20 years, pleaded with Yettaw to leave and relented only after he claimed to be too ill to swim back.
Reports said Yettaw's lawyer was due to defend his client against charges of trespassing, which carries a sentence of up to three months in prison.
Khin Maung Oo said at the weekend that he would attempt to win Yettaw, 53, a lenient sentence. "I will try my best to defend my client. I will argue that he did not violate the restriction order and I will try my utmost to get him lesser punishment," he said.
Critics have denounced the trial as an excuse by Burma's ruling military junta to keep Aung San Suu Kyi incarcerated during national elections due next year.
Her party, the National League for Democracy, won a landslide victory in elections in 1990, but the ruling generals refused to recognise the result.
The junta has so far resisted international calls for her immediate release. Last week, the state-controlled media accused the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, of "interference" after she said a satisfactory conclusion to the trial could lead to better economic ties with Washington.
The defence does not deny that Yettaw visited Aung San Suu Kyi's compound, but argues that she cannot be charged under laws abolished in 1988. It blames her bodyguards for failing to apprehend Yettaw, who remained undetected for several hours
Aung San Suu Kyi verdict due on Friday
Trial of Burma's pro-democracy leader, facing up to five years in jail, comes to end
The trial of Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi ended today with the judge announcing he will deliver his verdict by the end of the week.
The Nobel peace prize laureate is charged with breaking the terms of her house arrest by allowing an American man to spend two nights at her home in May. She faces up to five years in prison if found guilty.
Last-ditch attempts to call Nyunt Maung Shein, Burma's former ambassador to the UN, to testify in court were rejected.
Government officials and diplomats said the judge, Thaung Nyunt, had ended the trial and announced there would be a ruling on Friday. There has been little word yet on today's proceedings. The media have been banned from the most of the trial, although diplomats from Japan, Singapore, Thailand and the US were allowed to attend today.
An official told Reuters that Aung San Suu Kyi's trial had been completed, but cases against three other defendants were continuing.
"We have done our best and she is prepared for the worst," her lawyer, Nyan Win, told reporters. "We don't want to speculate, but we will keep exploring all legal avenues."
The end of the trial came as Amnesty International awarded Aung San Suu Kyi its highest accolade, the title of ambassador of conscience, for leading the democracy struggle in Burma.
"Aung San Suu Kyi has remained a symbol of hope, courage and the undying defence of human rights, not only to the people of Myanmar but to people around the world," Amnesty's secretary general, Irene Khan, said.
The rock band U2 was due to announce the award at a concert in Dublin last night.
John Yettaw, a Vietnam veteran who was described by his wife as eccentric, said he swam across a lake to her home because he wanted to warn her that she was about to be assassinated by "terrorists".
Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been detained for 14 of the past 20 years, pleaded with Yettaw to leave and relented only after he claimed to be too ill to swim back.
Reports said Yettaw's lawyer was due to defend his client against charges of trespassing, which carries a sentence of up to three months in prison.
Khin Maung Oo said at the weekend that he would attempt to win Yettaw, 53, a lenient sentence. "I will try my best to defend my client. I will argue that he did not violate the restriction order and I will try my utmost to get him lesser punishment," he said.
Critics have denounced the trial as an excuse by Burma's ruling military junta to keep Aung San Suu Kyi incarcerated during national elections due next year.
Her party, the National League for Democracy, won a landslide victory in elections in 1990, but the ruling generals refused to recognise the result.
The junta has so far resisted international calls for her immediate release. Last week, the state-controlled media accused the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, of "interference" after she said a satisfactory conclusion to the trial could lead to better economic ties with Washington.
The defence does not deny that Yettaw visited Aung San Suu Kyi's compound, but argues that she cannot be charged under laws abolished in 1988. It blames her bodyguards for failing to apprehend Yettaw, who remained undetected for several hours
Detailed account of trial available
The National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma is running a "blow-by-blow" on-going timetable since the trial began. A lot of the information comes from those inside and around the trial and/or the courtroom and some of it has had to be secreted out. It's available at www.ncgub.net
It is at the top of the home page under "Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's trial update". Not sure if they are continuing with it as it stops at June 16.
It is at the top of the home page under "Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's trial update". Not sure if they are continuing with it as it stops at June 16.
Fearing the worst
From The Guardian (edited) -
Aung San Suu Kyi 'preparing for worst' as trial nears end
The trial of Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi entered its final phase today, with both sides expected to present closing arguments before a verdict is delivered in two to three weeks.
Although the prosecution was expected to wind up its case against the Nobel prize winner today, her lawyer said a verdict was not imminent. "I expect all the arguments will be made today but I think the verdict might take as long as two or three weeks," Nyan Win told Reuters.
Nyan Win said his client was "preparing for the worst" at the end of a trial that the junta's critics have denounced as an excuse to keep Suu Kyi incarcerated during national elections next year.
Statements were expected from Aung San Suu Kyi's longtime companions, Khin Khin Win and her daughter Win Ma Ma. The women, members of the National League for Democracy (NLD), also face up to five years in prison.
The NLD won a landslide victory in elections in 1990, but the ruling generals refused to recognise the result.
The junta has so far resisted international calls for Aung San Suu Kyi's immediate release. Last week, the state-controlled media accused the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, of "interference" after she said a satisfactory conclusion to the trial could lead to better economic ties with Washington.
In demanding her release, western critics of the regime were showing "reckless disregard for the law", the New Light of Myanmar newspaper said. "The court will hand down a reasonable term to her if she is found guilty, and it will release her if she is found not guilty," it added.
Most of the trial has been conducted behind closed doors since it began on 18 May.
Diplomats have been allowed to witness four hearings, with observers from the US, Singapore, Australia, Japan, the Philippines and Malaysia reportedly granted access to this morning's proceedings.
A diplomatic source said Aung San Suu Kyi, who is being held at Insein prison in the capital, Rangoon, had appeared "fit, healthy and in sparkling form" when she appeared in court last Friday.
Aung San Suu Kyi 'preparing for worst' as trial nears end
The trial of Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi entered its final phase today, with both sides expected to present closing arguments before a verdict is delivered in two to three weeks.
Although the prosecution was expected to wind up its case against the Nobel prize winner today, her lawyer said a verdict was not imminent. "I expect all the arguments will be made today but I think the verdict might take as long as two or three weeks," Nyan Win told Reuters.
Nyan Win said his client was "preparing for the worst" at the end of a trial that the junta's critics have denounced as an excuse to keep Suu Kyi incarcerated during national elections next year.
Statements were expected from Aung San Suu Kyi's longtime companions, Khin Khin Win and her daughter Win Ma Ma. The women, members of the National League for Democracy (NLD), also face up to five years in prison.
The NLD won a landslide victory in elections in 1990, but the ruling generals refused to recognise the result.
The junta has so far resisted international calls for Aung San Suu Kyi's immediate release. Last week, the state-controlled media accused the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, of "interference" after she said a satisfactory conclusion to the trial could lead to better economic ties with Washington.
In demanding her release, western critics of the regime were showing "reckless disregard for the law", the New Light of Myanmar newspaper said. "The court will hand down a reasonable term to her if she is found guilty, and it will release her if she is found not guilty," it added.
Most of the trial has been conducted behind closed doors since it began on 18 May.
Diplomats have been allowed to witness four hearings, with observers from the US, Singapore, Australia, Japan, the Philippines and Malaysia reportedly granted access to this morning's proceedings.
A diplomatic source said Aung San Suu Kyi, who is being held at Insein prison in the capital, Rangoon, had appeared "fit, healthy and in sparkling form" when she appeared in court last Friday.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Suu Kyi wants trial decision asap
From Irrawaddy (edited)-
Suu Kyi Unsatisfied with Trial Delay: Lawyer
By SAW YAN NAING
Saturday, July 25, 2009 ,
Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is unhappy with the repeated delays in the current trial against her, according one of her lawyers.
Nyan Win, a member of Suu Kyi’s legal team, told The Irrawaddy on Friday that she complained about the court’s decision to adjourn her trial until Monday because it gave the prosecution extra time to prepare its final arguments. Suu Kyi’s defense team made its closing arguments on Friday.
“I’m not satisfied with the delay,” Suu Kyi told her lawyer.
Kyi Win, Suu Kyi’s chief defense counsel, told the court on Friday that his client maintains that she is not guilty of the charges against her. He argued that under the 1974 law that she is accused of violating, it is not a crime to speak to a stranger or offer him food.
Suu Kyi Unsatisfied with Trial Delay: Lawyer
By SAW YAN NAING
Saturday, July 25, 2009 ,
Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is unhappy with the repeated delays in the current trial against her, according one of her lawyers.
Nyan Win, a member of Suu Kyi’s legal team, told The Irrawaddy on Friday that she complained about the court’s decision to adjourn her trial until Monday because it gave the prosecution extra time to prepare its final arguments. Suu Kyi’s defense team made its closing arguments on Friday.
“I’m not satisfied with the delay,” Suu Kyi told her lawyer.
Kyi Win, Suu Kyi’s chief defense counsel, told the court on Friday that his client maintains that she is not guilty of the charges against her. He argued that under the 1974 law that she is accused of violating, it is not a crime to speak to a stranger or offer him food.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Diplomats gain entry to courtroom
From Mizzima-
July 24, 2009 Mizzima: Diplomats allowed to attend Suu Kyi’s closing arguments
13:17 New Delhi
Burma's military government on Friday allowed foreign diplomats from Britain, Germany, France and Italy to attend the closing arguments in the trial against opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The trial against the Burmese pro-democracy leader, at a special court inside Rangoon’s Insein prison, has for the most part been a closed-door affair, with authorities only twice previously allowing selected diplomats and journalists to witness proceedings.“This time they have not invited or even informed us, but they [the government] have granted permission to diplomats who have sought to attend the final hearing,” a journalist in Rangoon told Mizzima on Friday.
An official from the Embassy of the United States has also so far been permitted to attend proceedings against American John William Yettaw, who is standing trial at the court for secretly swimming across a lake and entering, uninvited, into Aung San Suu Kyi’s home.
A source in Rangoon told Mizzima, “As far as I have confirmed, diplomats from Britain, Germany, France and Italy have been allowed to attend the court session.”On Friday, the court will hear closing arguments from both prosecution and defense lawyers. The defense team told Mizzima on Thursday that they have prepared a 23-page argument to be submitted to the court.
Observers, however, believe the court will fix yet another date to hand down a verdict.
July 24, 2009 Mizzima: Diplomats allowed to attend Suu Kyi’s closing arguments
13:17 New Delhi
Burma's military government on Friday allowed foreign diplomats from Britain, Germany, France and Italy to attend the closing arguments in the trial against opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The trial against the Burmese pro-democracy leader, at a special court inside Rangoon’s Insein prison, has for the most part been a closed-door affair, with authorities only twice previously allowing selected diplomats and journalists to witness proceedings.“This time they have not invited or even informed us, but they [the government] have granted permission to diplomats who have sought to attend the final hearing,” a journalist in Rangoon told Mizzima on Friday.
An official from the Embassy of the United States has also so far been permitted to attend proceedings against American John William Yettaw, who is standing trial at the court for secretly swimming across a lake and entering, uninvited, into Aung San Suu Kyi’s home.
A source in Rangoon told Mizzima, “As far as I have confirmed, diplomats from Britain, Germany, France and Italy have been allowed to attend the court session.”On Friday, the court will hear closing arguments from both prosecution and defense lawyers. The defense team told Mizzima on Thursday that they have prepared a 23-page argument to be submitted to the court.
Observers, however, believe the court will fix yet another date to hand down a verdict.
Trial resumes today
From Reuters (edited)-
Final arguments due in trial of Myanmar's Suu Kyi
Fri Jul 24, 2009 2:23am EDT
By Aung Hla Tun
YANGON (Reuters) - The trial on security-related charges of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was due to resume on Friday, with no indications from the country's military regime that it would heed international calls to free her.
At an Asia-Pacific security forum on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered Myanmar the prospect of better relations with the United States, but said that depended in part on the fate of Suu Kyi.
Asked if Clinton's comments would have any impact on the regime's attitude toward the case and the political situation in general, one of her lawyers, Nyan Win, told reporters on Friday: "I don't think so. As for her, she is preparing for the worst."
Her legal team was allowed to see her on Thursday to prepare final arguments after being denied access on Wednesday.
Recent hearings in the trial have been held behind closed doors in Yangon's Insein Prison, but a European embassy source said diplomats had been told by the authorities to report to the prison on Friday, and they assumed they would be allowed in.
The hearing is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. (0730 GMT). Lawyers are not expecting a verdict on Friday.
Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, 64, faces five years in prison if found guilty of breaking a draconian security law that protects the state from "subversive elements."
There has been no official response to Clinton's comments this week but state media, seen as a mouthpiece for the junta, have shown no sign of compromise on the subject of Suu Kyi.
Rights groups say there are more than 2,000 political prisoners in Myanmar but a commentary carried by three state-controlled newspapers on Thursday described them as common criminals, guilty of undermining stability.
"Daw Suu Kyi, like them, is not a political prisoner, but the person who is on trial for breaching an existing law," it said.
Final arguments due in trial of Myanmar's Suu Kyi
Fri Jul 24, 2009 2:23am EDT
By Aung Hla Tun
YANGON (Reuters) - The trial on security-related charges of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was due to resume on Friday, with no indications from the country's military regime that it would heed international calls to free her.
At an Asia-Pacific security forum on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered Myanmar the prospect of better relations with the United States, but said that depended in part on the fate of Suu Kyi.
Asked if Clinton's comments would have any impact on the regime's attitude toward the case and the political situation in general, one of her lawyers, Nyan Win, told reporters on Friday: "I don't think so. As for her, she is preparing for the worst."
Her legal team was allowed to see her on Thursday to prepare final arguments after being denied access on Wednesday.
Recent hearings in the trial have been held behind closed doors in Yangon's Insein Prison, but a European embassy source said diplomats had been told by the authorities to report to the prison on Friday, and they assumed they would be allowed in.
The hearing is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. (0730 GMT). Lawyers are not expecting a verdict on Friday.
Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, 64, faces five years in prison if found guilty of breaking a draconian security law that protects the state from "subversive elements."
There has been no official response to Clinton's comments this week but state media, seen as a mouthpiece for the junta, have shown no sign of compromise on the subject of Suu Kyi.
Rights groups say there are more than 2,000 political prisoners in Myanmar but a commentary carried by three state-controlled newspapers on Thursday described them as common criminals, guilty of undermining stability.
"Daw Suu Kyi, like them, is not a political prisoner, but the person who is on trial for breaching an existing law," it said.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Delay announcement disputed
This apparently contradicts the news posted below that the trial has been delayed again. My analysis on the previous post still holds though. This just means the methodology may be different.
From Mizzima-
Misinformation circulated on Suu Kyi’s trial
by Mizzima News
Friday, 10 July 2009 21:26
New Delhi (mizzima) - In a bid to disperse the crowd assembled outside the Insein prison in Rangoon, authorities spread false information that the court hearing of a defence witness in the trial of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was adjourned and that the court has fixed the next hearing on July 17. Nyan Win, member of Aung San Suu Kyi’s legal team, told Mizzima that the information was false.
It was spread in order to keep at bay members of the National League for Democracy and its supporters, who crowded outside the Insein prison. “I think the news was spread by those who are against us, in order to send away the waiting crowd outside the prison,” said Nyan Win adding that the court session went on for about seven hours. Nyan Win also said the court has fixed July 24 for the hearing of the final argument from lawyers of both sides refuting the wrong date of July 17 rumored earlier in the day.
Nyan Win said on Friday that the district court in Insein prison heard the testimony of the second witness, Daw Khin Moe Moe, who is also a lawyer by profession and member of the National League for Democracy. “The court adjourned at 5 p.m. (local time). Daw Khin Moe Moe testified. She was also cross examined by the prosecution lawyer,” Nyan Win said. Meanwhile, at least 80 NLD members including veteran journalist Win Tin and supporters crowded outside Insein prison waiting for the trial. Mingling with the crowd, were riot police personnel and soldiers.
But after being told that the court session had been adjourned, that witness, Khin Moe Moe, did not testify and the next hearing had been fixed for July 17, supporters dispersed in the afternoon. Phyu Phyu Thinn, an NLD youth member, who was among the crowd, said, “We were informed by a man that the court had adjourned and the next hearing is fixed for July 17. After that we all dispersed. I don’t know the man’s name.” “All of us believed that the information was correct and left the prison precincts.
But in the evening we learnt that the information was wrong, and was intended to make us leave,” she added. Nyan Win said, “As we came out, several people asked whether the court had adjourned till July 17. It was false information spread by people who are against us.” In the court on Friday, Khin Moe Moe argued that the 1974 Constitution of Burma is no longer effective and that the charges against the Burmese Nobel Peace Laureate cannot be filed under the statutes of the 1974 Constitution.
But the prosecution argued that despite the changes in the regime, the 1974 Constitution is still valid.“They tried to prove their stand with various government orders and documents, so it took a long time to conclude,” Nyan Win said. Nyan Win said the defence team on Wednesday met Aung San Suu Kyi with a prepared 18-page final argument to be submitted to the court on July 24. Following the submission of the final argument, the court is likely to set another day to pronounce the final verdict.
Under the charges of violating the detention terms, if found guilty, the Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi could face up to five years in prison. Meanwhile, John William Yettaw, the American man who is also facing trial for taking refuge in Aung San Suu Kyi’s house, has been taken to hospital, reports said.
From Mizzima-
Misinformation circulated on Suu Kyi’s trial
by Mizzima News
Friday, 10 July 2009 21:26
New Delhi (mizzima) - In a bid to disperse the crowd assembled outside the Insein prison in Rangoon, authorities spread false information that the court hearing of a defence witness in the trial of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was adjourned and that the court has fixed the next hearing on July 17. Nyan Win, member of Aung San Suu Kyi’s legal team, told Mizzima that the information was false.
It was spread in order to keep at bay members of the National League for Democracy and its supporters, who crowded outside the Insein prison. “I think the news was spread by those who are against us, in order to send away the waiting crowd outside the prison,” said Nyan Win adding that the court session went on for about seven hours. Nyan Win also said the court has fixed July 24 for the hearing of the final argument from lawyers of both sides refuting the wrong date of July 17 rumored earlier in the day.
Nyan Win said on Friday that the district court in Insein prison heard the testimony of the second witness, Daw Khin Moe Moe, who is also a lawyer by profession and member of the National League for Democracy. “The court adjourned at 5 p.m. (local time). Daw Khin Moe Moe testified. She was also cross examined by the prosecution lawyer,” Nyan Win said. Meanwhile, at least 80 NLD members including veteran journalist Win Tin and supporters crowded outside Insein prison waiting for the trial. Mingling with the crowd, were riot police personnel and soldiers.
But after being told that the court session had been adjourned, that witness, Khin Moe Moe, did not testify and the next hearing had been fixed for July 17, supporters dispersed in the afternoon. Phyu Phyu Thinn, an NLD youth member, who was among the crowd, said, “We were informed by a man that the court had adjourned and the next hearing is fixed for July 17. After that we all dispersed. I don’t know the man’s name.” “All of us believed that the information was correct and left the prison precincts.
But in the evening we learnt that the information was wrong, and was intended to make us leave,” she added. Nyan Win said, “As we came out, several people asked whether the court had adjourned till July 17. It was false information spread by people who are against us.” In the court on Friday, Khin Moe Moe argued that the 1974 Constitution of Burma is no longer effective and that the charges against the Burmese Nobel Peace Laureate cannot be filed under the statutes of the 1974 Constitution.
But the prosecution argued that despite the changes in the regime, the 1974 Constitution is still valid.“They tried to prove their stand with various government orders and documents, so it took a long time to conclude,” Nyan Win said. Nyan Win said the defence team on Wednesday met Aung San Suu Kyi with a prepared 18-page final argument to be submitted to the court on July 24. Following the submission of the final argument, the court is likely to set another day to pronounce the final verdict.
Under the charges of violating the detention terms, if found guilty, the Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi could face up to five years in prison. Meanwhile, John William Yettaw, the American man who is also facing trial for taking refuge in Aung San Suu Kyi’s house, has been taken to hospital, reports said.
Trial delayed again - why the delay?
This constant delay may well be evidence of some internal dispute over what to do about Aung San Suu Kyi. There are some high profile reformers that remain in the regime, up to ministerial level I have been told, who would likely to pushing for her release.
My feeling is that a decision over her fate literally hangs in the balance at the moment.
By next Friday, we will effectively be entering the third month of the trial.
the other read on this is that the regime is solid and is simply pushing the trial out until after the elections next year. Its a more prosaic and depressing analysis, and, sadly, more likely.
From ABC Australia-
Suu Kyi trial delayed again
By South East Asia correspondent Karen Percy
The trial of Burma's opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been delayed yet again.
The court reportedly sat for a brief time inside the infamous Insein prison, where Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained since she was charged two months ago.
But a much anticipated defence witness, Khin Moh Moh, was not able to give evidence.
He is only the second witness allowed to testify on Suu Kyi's behalf.
The prosecution was permitted 14 witnesses.
Suu Kyi has been charged with breaching the terms of her house detention, when American John Yettaw paid an unexpected visit to her home in early May.
The trial has been adjourned until next Friday.
My feeling is that a decision over her fate literally hangs in the balance at the moment.
By next Friday, we will effectively be entering the third month of the trial.
the other read on this is that the regime is solid and is simply pushing the trial out until after the elections next year. Its a more prosaic and depressing analysis, and, sadly, more likely.
From ABC Australia-
Suu Kyi trial delayed again
By South East Asia correspondent Karen Percy
The trial of Burma's opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been delayed yet again.
The court reportedly sat for a brief time inside the infamous Insein prison, where Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained since she was charged two months ago.
But a much anticipated defence witness, Khin Moh Moh, was not able to give evidence.
He is only the second witness allowed to testify on Suu Kyi's behalf.
The prosecution was permitted 14 witnesses.
Suu Kyi has been charged with breaching the terms of her house detention, when American John Yettaw paid an unexpected visit to her home in early May.
The trial has been adjourned until next Friday.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Newest phase of the trial underway - supporters gather
From AP-
Aung San Suu Kyi's trial resumes in Myanmar
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Riot police deployed outside Myanmar's main prison Friday as the trial of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi resumed, a week after the ruling generals blocked efforts by the U.N. chief to save her from a possible five-year prison term.
The 64-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate is charged with violating the terms of her house arrest by harboring an American man who swam secretly to her lakeside home and stayed for two days.
Khin Moe Moe, a lawyer and a member of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, was scheduled to appear as a defense witness during Friday's session, which a Myanmar official said restarted Friday inside Yangon's Insein prison where Suu Kyi is being held.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The trial has drawn condemnation from the international community and Suu Kyi's local supporters, who worry the ruling junta has found an excuse to keep her detained through elections planned for next year.
Suu Kyi has been in detention for nearly 14 of the last 20 years, mostly at her Yangon residence.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, on an official visit to Myanmar last Friday and Saturday, failed to gain Suu Kyi's release or even visit her in prison.
Ban said Myanmar's junta chief Senior Gen. Than Shwe told him repeatedly that "he really wanted to agree to my request" to see her but because Suu Kyi was on trial he did not want to be seen as interfering with the judicial process — or being pressured by the outside world.
"I am deeply disappointed that they have missed a very important opportunity," Ban said last weekend.
Also being tried on the same charges are two women members of Suu Kyi's party, who were her sole companions while under house arrest. The American, John Yettaw, 53, of Falcon, Missouri, is charged with trespassing.
The mostly closed-door trial started May 18. The court at first allowed only one of four defense witnesses to take the stand, while approving 23 prosecution witnesses, of whom 14 took the stand, according to Suu Kyi's lawyers.
On appeal, the Yangon Divisional Court ruled that Khin Moe Moe also could be heard but maintained the disqualification of prominent journalist and former political prisoner Win Tin and party vice chairman Tin Oo, who is under house arrest.
Security around Insein prison was tight as usual with roads leading to the prison blocked with barb-wire barricades manned by police. Truck loads of riot police were also deployed around the prison facility.
About 100 Suu Kyi supporters gathered, as they have during earlier court sessions, to give her support, sitting and standing as close as they could to the prison gates.
The defense has not contested the basic facts of the case but argues the relevant law has been misapplied by the authorities. They also assert that any intrusion was the responsibility of the security forces guarding the house.
Yettaw has pleaded not guilty and explained in court that he had a dream that Suu Kyi would be assassinated and he had gone to warn her. Family and friends have said he was working on a book and wished to interview her.
Aung San Suu Kyi's trial resumes in Myanmar
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Riot police deployed outside Myanmar's main prison Friday as the trial of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi resumed, a week after the ruling generals blocked efforts by the U.N. chief to save her from a possible five-year prison term.
The 64-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate is charged with violating the terms of her house arrest by harboring an American man who swam secretly to her lakeside home and stayed for two days.
Khin Moe Moe, a lawyer and a member of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, was scheduled to appear as a defense witness during Friday's session, which a Myanmar official said restarted Friday inside Yangon's Insein prison where Suu Kyi is being held.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The trial has drawn condemnation from the international community and Suu Kyi's local supporters, who worry the ruling junta has found an excuse to keep her detained through elections planned for next year.
Suu Kyi has been in detention for nearly 14 of the last 20 years, mostly at her Yangon residence.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, on an official visit to Myanmar last Friday and Saturday, failed to gain Suu Kyi's release or even visit her in prison.
Ban said Myanmar's junta chief Senior Gen. Than Shwe told him repeatedly that "he really wanted to agree to my request" to see her but because Suu Kyi was on trial he did not want to be seen as interfering with the judicial process — or being pressured by the outside world.
"I am deeply disappointed that they have missed a very important opportunity," Ban said last weekend.
Also being tried on the same charges are two women members of Suu Kyi's party, who were her sole companions while under house arrest. The American, John Yettaw, 53, of Falcon, Missouri, is charged with trespassing.
The mostly closed-door trial started May 18. The court at first allowed only one of four defense witnesses to take the stand, while approving 23 prosecution witnesses, of whom 14 took the stand, according to Suu Kyi's lawyers.
On appeal, the Yangon Divisional Court ruled that Khin Moe Moe also could be heard but maintained the disqualification of prominent journalist and former political prisoner Win Tin and party vice chairman Tin Oo, who is under house arrest.
Security around Insein prison was tight as usual with roads leading to the prison blocked with barb-wire barricades manned by police. Truck loads of riot police were also deployed around the prison facility.
About 100 Suu Kyi supporters gathered, as they have during earlier court sessions, to give her support, sitting and standing as close as they could to the prison gates.
The defense has not contested the basic facts of the case but argues the relevant law has been misapplied by the authorities. They also assert that any intrusion was the responsibility of the security forces guarding the house.
Yettaw has pleaded not guilty and explained in court that he had a dream that Suu Kyi would be assassinated and he had gone to warn her. Family and friends have said he was working on a book and wished to interview her.
Aung San Suu Kyi denied any contact
Note the paras at the end about the UN role, vetoes, and UK and then US chairing the UNSC later in the year. Why wasnt Burma and Aung San Suu Kyi raised on Obama's trip to Russia then? Or were they?
From the Irrawaddy-
Suu Kyi Denied Access to News
By WAI MOE
Thursday, July 9, 2009 ,
Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is denied access to a radio during her time in Rangoon’s Insein Prison, according to her lawyer, Nyan Win.
Suu Kyi was able to keep in touch with world events by listening to the radio during her house detention, but that possibility has been denied her since she was removed to Insein Prison, where she is on trial for transgressing the terms of her house arrest.
Nyan Win said Suu Kyi was allowed to read the state-controlled press, but was denied the possibility of receiving “uncensored information via foreign broadcasting.”
Nyan Win met Suu Kyi on Wednesday, and said afterwards that she was in a good mood and healthy.
The meeting was to allow Nyan Win to prepare for Suu Kyi’s next appearance in court, scheduled for Friday. He said he didn’t know if a verdict could be expected then. She faces a sentence of up to five years imprisonment if convicted of allowing an American intruder to stay at her home.
A scheduled session of the trial last Friday was postponed because of the visit to Burma by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
The UN chief asked for a meeting with Suu Kyi, but his request was rejected by junta leader Snr-Gen Than Shwe.
“I believe the government of Myanmar [Burma] has lost a unique opportunity to show its commitment to a new era of political openness,” Ban commented.
“Allowing a visit to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi would have been an important symbol of the government’s willingness to embark on the kind of meaningful engagement that will be essential if the elections in 2010 are to be seen as credible,” he said.
Ban is expected to brief the UN Security Council shortly on his Burma visit.
Analysts say the Burma issue is sure to be raised before the Security Council in August, when the UK has the chair, and in September, when the US takes over the position.
Burma has been able in the past to rely on the vetoes of two permanent members of the Security Council, China and Russia, to block unfavorable resolutions. But diplomatic sources say China is disappointed by the Burmese regime’s treatment of Ban
From the Irrawaddy-
Suu Kyi Denied Access to News
By WAI MOE
Thursday, July 9, 2009 ,
Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is denied access to a radio during her time in Rangoon’s Insein Prison, according to her lawyer, Nyan Win.
Suu Kyi was able to keep in touch with world events by listening to the radio during her house detention, but that possibility has been denied her since she was removed to Insein Prison, where she is on trial for transgressing the terms of her house arrest.
Nyan Win said Suu Kyi was allowed to read the state-controlled press, but was denied the possibility of receiving “uncensored information via foreign broadcasting.”
Nyan Win met Suu Kyi on Wednesday, and said afterwards that she was in a good mood and healthy.
The meeting was to allow Nyan Win to prepare for Suu Kyi’s next appearance in court, scheduled for Friday. He said he didn’t know if a verdict could be expected then. She faces a sentence of up to five years imprisonment if convicted of allowing an American intruder to stay at her home.
A scheduled session of the trial last Friday was postponed because of the visit to Burma by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
The UN chief asked for a meeting with Suu Kyi, but his request was rejected by junta leader Snr-Gen Than Shwe.
“I believe the government of Myanmar [Burma] has lost a unique opportunity to show its commitment to a new era of political openness,” Ban commented.
“Allowing a visit to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi would have been an important symbol of the government’s willingness to embark on the kind of meaningful engagement that will be essential if the elections in 2010 are to be seen as credible,” he said.
Ban is expected to brief the UN Security Council shortly on his Burma visit.
Analysts say the Burma issue is sure to be raised before the Security Council in August, when the UK has the chair, and in September, when the US takes over the position.
Burma has been able in the past to rely on the vetoes of two permanent members of the Security Council, China and Russia, to block unfavorable resolutions. But diplomatic sources say China is disappointed by the Burmese regime’s treatment of Ban
Little hope as trial starts again today
From AP-
I am not sure if the use of the term "Daw" in state media - see below -is a sign of softening somewhere, but the regime seems impossible to second guess.
Gloom in Yangon as Aung San Suu Kyi trial resumes
By JOHN HEILPRIN
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Along the shores of artificial Inya Lake, the empty compound of Aung San Suu Kyi lies within plain sight as couples stroll the path. Her home also is a curious attraction to onlookers from a hotel a minute's walk away.
But it is her absence from it that has been on people's minds lately in and around Yangon — a hub of commerce and scholarship and the epicenter of anti-government sentiment — with the trial of the pro-democracy leader set to resume Friday.
The failure of visiting U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to gain a meeting with the opposition leader last weekend or win her release seems to have only intensified widespread feelings of gloom and frustration, though only brief interviews were possible without raising suspicions in this police state.
The trial of Suu Kyi, who turned 64 in the city's Insein Prison last month, had been postponed during the U.N. chief's visit.
There had been some hope that intervention by the international community might have avoided the continuation of the Nobel Prize laureate's trial. She faces trumped-up charges that resulted from a bizarre incident involving an American who swam to her home across the artificial lake, a popular place for leisurely walks and sailing.
"I will never see real democracy flourish in Myanmar. Not in my lifetime. We live in a hopeless situation where even the U.N. secretary-general fails to nudge the stubborn regime," said U Hla Shwe, a 72-year old retired lawyer.
The New Light of Myanmar reported on July 5 that junta leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe denied the U.N. secretary-general's request for a prison visit because "the case is being heard freely and fairly, so they have no right to arrange a meeting between the UNSG and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi." "Daw" is a term of respect.
Suu Kyi faces up to five years in jail on charges of violating the terms of her long-standing house arrest, after the uninvited American man, also imprisoned at Insein, swam to her tightly guarded lakeside home and stayed two days. He made the same swim last year.
Her defense will call a second witness Friday. Then Suu Kyi's defense plans to ask the court to give it sufficient time — about a week — to prepare for closing arguments. A separate date is expected for the court to deliver the verdict, which could still be appealed.
Her supporters and human rights groups see the trial as an excuse for the government to throw her back in jail, now that they've reached the legal limit on detaining her. She has spent nearly 14 of the last 20 years in detention, mostly under house arrest.
It has been two decades since the military refused to hand over control to a civilian government despite Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy winning an extraordinary landslide victory in May 1990. Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been under military rule since 1962.
An editor of a local news magazine, who did not want to be named for fear of retaliation, said, "I had thought that the government was eager to hold all inclusive elections at least to give some credibility to the elections. But after Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was put on trial, I realize that the government was not sincere with the intention."
Since the referendum last year, when the junta pushed through a 92 percent vote to affirm a new constitution despite the devastation and disorder of Cyclone Nargis, despair set in that anyone's vote would ever count. Ban's visit did nothing to alleviate that.
"The government is going to hold the elections to cement their power and they will see to it that they get what they want, so my vote won't make any difference," said a 44-year old school teacher named Lei Lei.
Ban said Than Shwe indicated he might finally hand over control and become a civilian himself next year after an election is held. Some people hold out a glimmer of hope that might actually happen.
"Now everybody wants to have democracy — most of the people," said a 27-year-old Burmese man who, like many under the watchful eye of the military regime, did not want to be identified for fear harm would come to his family. "Maybe it will take two to three years."
Even as hopes dim for Suu Kyi's release and for a freely elected government, some people won't give up trying.
"I am skeptical that we will ever see change in the country. I will continue fighting for our rights working as a citizen journalist," said 25-year-old Zaw Zaw, who said he reports for an exiled anti-government media group. "It is dangerous working as a CJ and I am fearful all the time when I might get caught."
I am not sure if the use of the term "Daw" in state media - see below -is a sign of softening somewhere, but the regime seems impossible to second guess.
Gloom in Yangon as Aung San Suu Kyi trial resumes
By JOHN HEILPRIN
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Along the shores of artificial Inya Lake, the empty compound of Aung San Suu Kyi lies within plain sight as couples stroll the path. Her home also is a curious attraction to onlookers from a hotel a minute's walk away.
But it is her absence from it that has been on people's minds lately in and around Yangon — a hub of commerce and scholarship and the epicenter of anti-government sentiment — with the trial of the pro-democracy leader set to resume Friday.
The failure of visiting U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to gain a meeting with the opposition leader last weekend or win her release seems to have only intensified widespread feelings of gloom and frustration, though only brief interviews were possible without raising suspicions in this police state.
The trial of Suu Kyi, who turned 64 in the city's Insein Prison last month, had been postponed during the U.N. chief's visit.
There had been some hope that intervention by the international community might have avoided the continuation of the Nobel Prize laureate's trial. She faces trumped-up charges that resulted from a bizarre incident involving an American who swam to her home across the artificial lake, a popular place for leisurely walks and sailing.
"I will never see real democracy flourish in Myanmar. Not in my lifetime. We live in a hopeless situation where even the U.N. secretary-general fails to nudge the stubborn regime," said U Hla Shwe, a 72-year old retired lawyer.
The New Light of Myanmar reported on July 5 that junta leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe denied the U.N. secretary-general's request for a prison visit because "the case is being heard freely and fairly, so they have no right to arrange a meeting between the UNSG and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi." "Daw" is a term of respect.
Suu Kyi faces up to five years in jail on charges of violating the terms of her long-standing house arrest, after the uninvited American man, also imprisoned at Insein, swam to her tightly guarded lakeside home and stayed two days. He made the same swim last year.
Her defense will call a second witness Friday. Then Suu Kyi's defense plans to ask the court to give it sufficient time — about a week — to prepare for closing arguments. A separate date is expected for the court to deliver the verdict, which could still be appealed.
Her supporters and human rights groups see the trial as an excuse for the government to throw her back in jail, now that they've reached the legal limit on detaining her. She has spent nearly 14 of the last 20 years in detention, mostly under house arrest.
It has been two decades since the military refused to hand over control to a civilian government despite Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy winning an extraordinary landslide victory in May 1990. Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been under military rule since 1962.
An editor of a local news magazine, who did not want to be named for fear of retaliation, said, "I had thought that the government was eager to hold all inclusive elections at least to give some credibility to the elections. But after Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was put on trial, I realize that the government was not sincere with the intention."
Since the referendum last year, when the junta pushed through a 92 percent vote to affirm a new constitution despite the devastation and disorder of Cyclone Nargis, despair set in that anyone's vote would ever count. Ban's visit did nothing to alleviate that.
"The government is going to hold the elections to cement their power and they will see to it that they get what they want, so my vote won't make any difference," said a 44-year old school teacher named Lei Lei.
Ban said Than Shwe indicated he might finally hand over control and become a civilian himself next year after an election is held. Some people hold out a glimmer of hope that might actually happen.
"Now everybody wants to have democracy — most of the people," said a 27-year-old Burmese man who, like many under the watchful eye of the military regime, did not want to be identified for fear harm would come to his family. "Maybe it will take two to three years."
Even as hopes dim for Suu Kyi's release and for a freely elected government, some people won't give up trying.
"I am skeptical that we will ever see change in the country. I will continue fighting for our rights working as a citizen journalist," said 25-year-old Zaw Zaw, who said he reports for an exiled anti-government media group. "It is dangerous working as a CJ and I am fearful all the time when I might get caught."
Friday, July 3, 2009
Trial postponed to July10
From Al Jazeera-
Suu Kyi trial delayed again
Critics say the trial is intended to keep Aung San Suu Kyi behind bars during next year's elections
The trial of Myanmar's detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been adjourned at the last minute until July 10, one of her lawyers has said.
The trial of the Nobel peace laureate, who is accused of breaking the terms of her house arrest, had been due to resume on Friday, the same day as the arrival in Myanmar of Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general.
But as lawyers gathered at Yangon's Insein jail on Friday morning, officials announced that the trial, already adjourned for more than a month, had been pushed back once again.
Speaking to reporters Nyan Win, a member of Aung San Suu Kyi's legal team, said the court announced the adjournment just as the case was due to resume.
"The Supreme Court did not send the case files to the lower court, so the case has been adjourned until July 10," Nyan Win told reporters.
In depth
He said Aung San Suu Kyi had "expressed her surprise that this happened."
During his two-day visit to Myanmar the UN chief is expected to lobby Myanmar's military rulers to free Aung San Suu Kyi and around 2,000 other political detainees.
He was expected to meet the country's reclusive top ruler, Senior General Than Shwe, later on Friday.
UN officials have said he will also seek a one-on-one meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi, although it is not clear whether that will be permitted.
If such a meeting does take place, Ban will be the first UN secretary general to meet her since she was first detained in 1989.
Outrage
The 64-year-old opposition leader is charged with violating the terms of her house arrest in a case that has sparked global outrage.
She has spent most of the past 20 years in jail or under house arrest and on Sunday she will mark her 5,000th day in detention.
The charges centre on an uninvited visit by an American man, John Yettaw, who sneaked past security on May 3 and swam to her lakeside home, where he stayed for two days.
He was arrested while trying to leave her house.
Yettaw, a 53-year-old Vietnam war veteran, and two female aides of Aung San Suu Kyi are also on trial.
If convicted she faces up to five years in jail.
Opposition supporters and human rights groups have said the trial is a sham, trumped up by the military to ensure Aung San Suu Kyi remains in jail during elections that the military has said will take place next year.
Suu Kyi trial delayed again
Critics say the trial is intended to keep Aung San Suu Kyi behind bars during next year's elections
The trial of Myanmar's detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been adjourned at the last minute until July 10, one of her lawyers has said.
The trial of the Nobel peace laureate, who is accused of breaking the terms of her house arrest, had been due to resume on Friday, the same day as the arrival in Myanmar of Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general.
But as lawyers gathered at Yangon's Insein jail on Friday morning, officials announced that the trial, already adjourned for more than a month, had been pushed back once again.
Speaking to reporters Nyan Win, a member of Aung San Suu Kyi's legal team, said the court announced the adjournment just as the case was due to resume.
"The Supreme Court did not send the case files to the lower court, so the case has been adjourned until July 10," Nyan Win told reporters.
In depth
He said Aung San Suu Kyi had "expressed her surprise that this happened."
During his two-day visit to Myanmar the UN chief is expected to lobby Myanmar's military rulers to free Aung San Suu Kyi and around 2,000 other political detainees.
He was expected to meet the country's reclusive top ruler, Senior General Than Shwe, later on Friday.
UN officials have said he will also seek a one-on-one meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi, although it is not clear whether that will be permitted.
If such a meeting does take place, Ban will be the first UN secretary general to meet her since she was first detained in 1989.
Outrage
The 64-year-old opposition leader is charged with violating the terms of her house arrest in a case that has sparked global outrage.
She has spent most of the past 20 years in jail or under house arrest and on Sunday she will mark her 5,000th day in detention.
The charges centre on an uninvited visit by an American man, John Yettaw, who sneaked past security on May 3 and swam to her lakeside home, where he stayed for two days.
He was arrested while trying to leave her house.
Yettaw, a 53-year-old Vietnam war veteran, and two female aides of Aung San Suu Kyi are also on trial.
If convicted she faces up to five years in jail.
Opposition supporters and human rights groups have said the trial is a sham, trumped up by the military to ensure Aung San Suu Kyi remains in jail during elections that the military has said will take place next year.
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