Myanmar’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday was sentenced to three more years in prison, while Australia’s government rejected a Myanmar court’s sentencing of her former economic adviser.
Aung San Suu Kyi was found guilty of contravening the Official Secrets Act, a person familiar with the matter said.
A military-controlled court in the capital, Naypidaw, ruled that the 77-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate broke the colonial-era law, which criminalizes the possession or sharing of state information which is “directly or indirectly useful to an enemy,” said the person, who asked not to be named as he is not authorized to speak to the media.
Photo: AFP
Aung San Suu Kyi’s former economic adviser, Australian Sean Turnell, was also sentenced to three years in prison.
It is not clear whether the military government would jail Turnell or immediately deport him.
Three former Cabinet ministers at the Burmese Ministry of Planning and Finance were also convicted of breaching the secrets act and sentenced to three years in prison each.
Photo: AFP / MYANMAR NEWS AGENCY
All of the accused had pleaded not guilty, the source said, adding that they plan to appeal the verdicts.
The latest sentencing marks the sixth round of criminal verdicts against Aung San Suu Kyi since the military last year staged a coup that overthrew the civilian government.
It takes her total jail term to 23 years.
She is awaiting verdicts in seven more corruption charges expected later this year.
Turnell is not the first foreigner to have been convicted by the regime since the coup.
Last year, American journalist Danny Fenster was sentenced to 11 years in prison after he was found guilty of three charges, including inciting dissent against the military, but was released and deported a few days later.
Earlier this month, the junta handed a one-year prison sentence to former British ambassador to Myanmar Vicky Bowman and her husband for contravening the country’s immigration rules.
Aung San Suu Kyi was previously found guilty of charges including illegally importing and possessing unlicensed walkie-talkies, breaking COVID-19 rules and alleged election fraud in the 2020 general elections.
She has called the allegations “absurd,” while her supporters say the charges are “politically motivated.”
Major General Zaw Min Tun, lead spokesman for the ruling State Administration Council, did not immediately answer multiple calls seeking comment.
Meanwhile, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong (黃英賢) criticized the ruling against Turnell, saying he was tried in a closed court with no consular access and demanding his “immediate release.”
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