Crisis Deepens in Myanmar
538 protestors have been killed and Myanmar’s deposed leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been formally charged by the military.
Weeks after the military seized control of the country and declared martial law, Myanmar’s deposed leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been charged by the junta with violating Myanmar’s Official Secrets Act, her lawyer said on Thursday.
The colonial-era statute criminalizes the sharing of government information and is the most serious charge that can be brought against the opponent of military rule.
Suu Kyi, three of her deposed cabinet ministers and a detained Australian economic adviser, Sean Turnell, were charged a week ago in a Yangon court under the official secrets law, Suu Kyi’s chief lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told Reuters.
A conviction under the law can carry a penalty of up to 14 years in prison.
Suu Kyi and other members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party have been detained since the coup on Feb 1. The junta had earlier accused her of several minor offenses including illegally importing handheld radios and breaching coronavirus protocols.
The ruling military council has also accused her of bribery.
Suu Kyi, who is 75 years old and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her efforts to bring democracy to Myanmar…