Myanmar's deposed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday was found guilty of electoral fraud during 2020 polls her party won in a landslide and sentenced by a judge to three years in jail with hard labour, according to a source familiar with the proceedings.
The Nobel laureate, 77, and figurehead of Myanmar's opposition to decades of military rule has been detained since a coup early last year and has already been sentenced to more than 17 years in prison. She denies all the allegations against her.
On Friday, she was judged to have committed fraud in a November 2020 general election that her National League for Democracy (NLD) Party won with an overwhelming legislative majority, trouncing a party created by the powerful military.
The military has since cancelled the result and said it uncovered more than 11 million instances of voter fraud. However, international observers said the poll was largely free and fair.
The source, who declined to be identified because they were not authorised to speak to media, said it was unclear what hard labour would entail. Co-defendant Win Myint, the deposed president, was given the same sentence, the source said.
A spokesperson for the ruling military council did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The junta has said Suu Kyi is being given due process.
The military seized power in February 2021 to stop Suu Kyi's NLD from forming a new government after the election that it said had instances of fraud that had not properly been investigated.
The NLD has denied fraud and said it won fairly.
Suu Kyi has been on trial for more than a year on multiple charges, ranging from corruption and incitement to leaks of official secrets, for which the combined maximum sentences is more than 190 years.
Her trials have been held behind closed doors in the capital, Naypyitaw, and the junta's statements on the proceedings have been limited. A gag order has been imposed on Suu Kyi's lawyers.
- 'Peaceful and stable' -
The junta declared a state of emergency after ousting Suu Kyi's government, and has previously said elections would be held and the state of emergency lifted by August 2023.
In a speech broadcast last month Min Aung Hlaing did not mention a date for fresh polls but said they could only be held when the country was "peaceful and stable".
He also said "reform" to the electoral system was needed, including combining the first-past-the-post system -- under which Suu Kyi's NLD has won sweeping majorities -- with proportional representation.
Last month the junta-stacked Union Election Commission said the country's 92 registered political parties would have to ask for permission if they wished to meet foreign organisations or individuals.
"Political parties need to respect the law," the commission said.
"If they fail to do so their party's registration will be dissolved."
- Factbox -
Following is a summary of her cases based on information available to Reuters from the behind-closed-doors trials. Suu Kyi denies wrongdoing.
- Intent to incite, over a letter sent by her party to international organisations while she was in detention, asking them not to recognise a military government (sentenced to two years in prison, Dec 6, 2021).
- Violating the Official Secrets Act. Maximum 14 years in prison (trial ongoing).
- Breaches of a natural disasters mitigation law in violating Covid-19 rules while election campaigning (sentenced to two years in prison, Dec 6, 2021, and again on Jan 10, 2022).
- Violating import/export and telecommunications laws by possessing unlicensed walkie-talkies and signal jammers (sentenced Jan 10 to two years and one year in jail, respectively, with sentences to be served concurrently).
- Influencing the election commission (sentenced to three years in prison with hard labour, Sept 2).
- Eleven breaches of anti-corruption law. Maximum 15 years in prison for each.
Cases include:
- Misusing funds from the Daw Khin Kyi Foundation that Suu Kyi chaired, to build a home and leasing government-owned land at discounted rate (sentenced to six years in prison, Aug 15).
- Accepting bribes totalling US$600,000 and 11.4 kilogrammes of gold bars (sentenced to five years in prison, April 27).
- Misuse of state funds for lease of a helicopter (trial ongoing).
