Myanmar coup: Suu Kyi charged for illegally importing walkie-talkies

Soldiers who raided Suu Kyi's home early Monday found 10 of the radios, according to Myanmar Now and other news outlets, citing police documents

Days after the coup by Myanmar military, the police on Wednesday charged State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for "illegally" importing at least 10 walkie-talkies.

The New York Times reported an official from Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party as confirming that the leader has been charged with an obscure infraction: having illegally imported at least 10 walkie-talkies.

Myanmar's military launched the coup on Monday morning and detained the State Counsellor and President Win Myint and other NLD leaders.

The surprise use of walkie-talkies to justify locking up a Nobel Peace Prize laureate reinforced the military's penchant for using fine-grained strategy to neutralize its greatest political rival, NYT reported.

This military coup took place after days of escalating tensions between the government and the military in the aftermath of last November's general elections.

San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy (NLD) claimed an overwhelming victory in the polls, securing over 80 per cent of the seats, according to media reports. However, the military and some political parties disputed the results, alleging that the polls were marred by irregularities.According to media reports, the detentions started in the early hours of Monday (local time), with political leaders held in Yangon and other cities across Myanmar, and soldiers said to be out on the streets and at prominent landmarks.