Myanmar Military Junta Sentences Aung San Suu Kyi to 33 Years in Prison

Appeal Planned but Low Possibility of Sentence Change

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] The Myanmar military junta has added a 7-year sentence to State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. This brings her total sentence to 33 years.

On the 30th, foreign media reported, citing sources, that the military court found Suu Kyi guilty on all five corruption charges and sentenced her to 7 years in prison.

The trial concerned allegations of causing financial losses to the state related to the purchase and management of helicopters for disaster prevention activities during the civilian government period. This concluded an 18-month trial process against Suu Kyi, who was charged with 19 counts by the military.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Sources say Suu Kyi plans to appeal. However, the possibility of a change in the sentence is low. Before this trial, Suu Kyi had already received a 26-year sentence and has denied all charges, maintaining her innocence. She is currently held in solitary confinement in a prison in Naypyidaw, the capital of Myanmar.

Meanwhile, the Myanmar military claimed that the November 2020 general election, in which the National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Suu Kyi won a landslide victory, was fraudulent, and staged a coup on February 1 of last year.

Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief and head of the military government, said last August, "Once all trials against Suu Kyi are completed, we can have a dialogue with her," adding, "Once all verdicts are finalized, she can be moved from prison to house arrest."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.