Myanmar’s Junta Pardons Ousted Leader Suu Kyi For 5 Offences

Days after Myanmar’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi was moved from jail to house arrest, state media reports have claimed that she has been pardoned in five criminal cases in a junta amnesty.

“Chairman of State Administration Council pardons Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who was sentenced by the relevant courts,” the broadcast said.

While Suu Kyi received amnesty in five cases, she still faces legal troubles in 14 others. Sources told AFP that despite the clemency, Suu Kyi will not be freed from house arrest. 

“She couldn’t be freed completely although some sentences against her were pardoned. She still has to face 14 cases. Only five cases out of 19 were pardoned.”

Suu Kyi was arrested two years ago and the junta clemency is part of a religious ceremony, due to be held this week (August 3). The military has built a new giant sitting Buddha statue, as a symbol of devotion and will open it to the public on August 3. Apart from Suu Kyi, more than 7,000 prisoners have been granted amnesty as well. 

Up until last week, the 78-year-old Nobel laureate was lodged in a prison in the capital city of Naypyitaw. Suu Kyi had been sentenced to 33 years in prison after a range of charges were brought by the army. Most of the charges, experts argue, have been brought in to keep her away from garnering public support. Her party had won a second five-year mandate in the 2020 elections before the military came calling. 

The news of Suu Kyi’s transfer had been doing the rounds ever since Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai met her in prison. Pramudwinai became the first foreign visitor to be granted access to meet her after she was arrested. However, the news of her clemency has come as a surprise to many, given the junta’s heavy-handedness in dealing with its detractors. 

More than 3,700 people have been killed in the military’s crackdown on dissent since the coup, according to a local monitoring group. Meanwhile, more than 23,000 have been arrested during the same period. 

Suu Kyi’s change in stance

Suu Kyi, known for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights has implemented a change in stance since being detained, which some argue, might have been the reason for the clemency. 

The country’s parallel National Unity Government (NUG), formed out of the ashes of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), has established the People’s Defence Force (PDF) which is responsible for training civilians to fight alongside established ethnic armed groups. The junta has faced some setbacks in the last few months at the hands of NUG. 

Last month, a vehicle carrying Chinese military personnel was attacked by an armed ethnic group, according to the Myanmar junta. The Chinese convoy was travelling to a meeting on border security when the alleged attacks took place. According to the junta, the armed group Kachin Independence Army) (KIA), which belongs to NUG, carried the attacks.

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