Myanmar's military government has begun the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi, ignoring the objections of the United Nations and Amnesty International. The first phase of the trial will continue until July. On February 1, the Myanmar military seized power by arresting Aung San Suu Kyi and top leaders of her party. Since then, protests and demonstrations have been taking place across the country demanding the removal of the military government, the release of all political leaders, including Suu Kyi, and the restoration of democracy. News from Deutsche Welle
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) says at least 862 people have been killed in attacks on protesters by the military and other law enforcement agencies. According to the information provided by them, at least 6,000 protesters have been arrested in Myanmar in the last four and a half months. In addition to suppressing the protests, the military government, which came to power after overthrowing the elected government, has also taken steps to start a trial against Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, raising various charges against her.
Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been charged with other serious charges, including incitement, violating the Official Secrets Act and accepting $600,000 and 11.4kg of gold as bribes from a former Yangon chief minister. But Suu Kyi's lawyers have denied any wrongdoing. Her chief lawyer, Khin Myung Zaw, has called the latest corruption allegations "ridiculous".
Pro-democracy protesters took to the streets of the country's main city of Yangon on Monday, with many chanting "Revolutionary war, we are participating," according to social media posts. Some protesters said they planned a series of strikes and protests on Monday to mark the birthday of Che Guevara, the Latin American revolutionary leader who has become an international symbol of revolution since his death.
Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, condemned the military's use of heavy weapons on Friday, commenting on the escalating violence across Myanmar. The junta's foreign ministry rejected Bachelet's statement, calling it "biased."
Myanmar's junta-controlled media has blamed an ethnic armed group for the killing of 25 construction workers, accusing them of killing 25 of them after abducting a group of 47 workers from the country's east last month. The Karen National Defense Organization (KNDO) could not be reached for comment on the allegations.
