World leaders need to act against Myanmar junta: UN Special Rapporteur

After the Myanmar court sentenced the country's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to a total of 33 years imprisonment, Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, said that the junta needed "more than words of condemnation" and urged the world leaders to take action.

Taking to Twitter, Andrews said, " The Myanmar junta's 33-year sentence of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi comes a week after a Security Council resolution demanded her release and that of more than 13,000 other political prisoners."

"They need more than words of condemnation from world leaders. They need action," he added.

Earlier, on Friday, the court found Suu Kyi guilty of corruption in relation to the purchase, repair and rental of a helicopter for use during natural disasters and state affairs, including rescues and emergencies, CNN reported citing a source.

Notably, she now faces a total of 33 years in jail, including three years of hard labour, the source said, meaning she could spend the rest of her life behind bars.

Suu Kyi has previously been convicted of multiple offences, including electoral fraud and receiving bribes, according to sources, CNN reported.

According to the source, she has denied all of the charges levied against her, and her lawyers have said they are politically motivated.

Myanmar's former democratically-elected leader has been under house arrest since a military ousted her government in a coup in February 2021.

The court found Aung San Suu Kyi guilty of corruption pertaining to buying, repairing and rental of a helicopter for use during natural disasters and state affairs, including rescues and emergencies, CNN cited source. According to a source, Aung San Suu Kyi now faces an overall jail term of 33 years in prison, including three years of hard labour.

Aung San Suu Kyi is being held in solitary confinement at a prison in Naypyidaw and her trials have taken place behind closed doors, as per the news report. Previously, Aung San Suu Kyi has been convicted of multiple offences, including electoral fraud and receiving bribes.

She has denied all the charges registered against her and her lawyers have claimed that all these cases are politically motivated. The Myanmar military detained Aung San Suu Kyi after the Myanmar military seized control of the country in February 2021, which prompted nationwide protests.

Last week, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in its resolution passed on the Southeast Asian country urged the military junta to release all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi and former President Win Myint.

The UNSC called for Myanmar's Junta to release Aung San Suu Kyi as it adopted its first-ever resolution on the situation in the Southeast Asian country. The 15-member Council has been split on Myanmar for decades and was previously only able to agree on formal statements about the country, which has been under military rule since February 2021.

Twelve members of the UN Security Council voted in favour of the resolution demanding an immediate end to violence in Myanmar, while China, Russia and India abstained. US envoy to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said this resolution only represents a step toward ending the bloodshed, adding that ''much more must be done.