Myanmar's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi's trial to begin next week

The trials of Myanmar's ousted de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and former President U Win Myint will begin next week following their detention by the military on February 1, according to a lawyer.

"The cases of Aung San Suu Kyi were classified as simple cases at the court today, so the trials for those cases need to finish within 180 days," Xinhua news agency quoted Khin Maung Zaw, the lawyer for the two former leaders, told reporters on Monday.

"We will hear testimonies from plaintiffs for the cases of the two leaders starting next week scheduled to be held on June 14," the lawyer said, adding that Suu Kyi's trial is expected to end on July 26.

U Win Myint is facing two court charges, while six cases have been filed against Suu Kyi.

On May 24, Suu Kyi appeared in court which marked her first in-person appearance since the February 1 coup, to face a charge of "incitement to sedition".

The sedition charge is the most serious she faces, but she is also accused of violating a state secrets law and breaking coronavirus containment measures.

While Suu Kyi has answered questions in court via video link in recent weeks, her lawyers have been unable to meet her in person.

The military seized power after alleging massive voting fraud in the country's November 2020 general elections, which saw Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy win a majority of seats in both houses of parliament.

After the coup, the State Administration Council reformed the Union Election Commission, taking steps to review the general elections process.

Since the takeover, power has been transferred to Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing.

Meanwhile, nationwide protests against the coup have been met with fierce army reprisals that left hundreds of people dead.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners monitoring group, at least 845 people have been killed so far, while 5,708 have been arrested.

On June 4, junta forces killed at least 20 civilians in the Kyonpaw Township, 150 km northwest of Yangon, in what was the largest mass killing in nearly two months.

Local residents only had catapults and crossbows to defend themselves against guns and grenades.

--IANS

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