Suu Kyi Faces New Charge as Myanmar Military Crackdown Continues

Suu Kyi was deposed in a coup in early February this year (Flickr).

Myanmar police filed a second charge against deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi as protests against the military’s early February coup intensify and international outrage grows.

After her initial house arrest, the military charged Suu Kyi with the illegal possession of walkie-talkies, and Suu Kyi’s lawyer, Khin Maung Zaw, explained to reporters that police are now accusing her of violating COVID-19 restrictions while she was campaigning last year. The crime carries a maximum punishment of three years in prison, but changes to the Penal Code that the military instituted last week may allow them to hold Suu Kyi indefinitely. 

“New charges against Aung San Suu Kyi fabricated by the Myanmar military are a clear violation of her human rights,” tweeted U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson. “We stand with the people of Myanmar and will ensure those responsible for this coup are held to account.”

Suu Kyi has been under house arrest since Myanmar’s military led a coup against her government on February 1, imposing a state of emergency which included strict curfews and an internet shutdown. Her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), won in a landslide in the November 2020 election, but in the following months, the military proceeded to allege that the NLD perpetuated mass voter fraud across the country. The military used this fraud charge as a justification for overthrowing Suu Kyi’s government and the arrest of her and dozens of government ministers.

The new charge against Suu Kyi came amidst intensifying protests by Myanmar citizens against the military. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of major cities, such as the largest city of Yangon, and observers fear a harsh crackdown by the police could soon follow. 

“We love democracy and hate the junta,” said Sithu Maung, a member of the NLD, to a crowd of tens of thousands at the Sule Pagoda, a Yangon landmark. “We must be the last generation to experience a coup.”

Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden issued a strong rebuke of the Myanmar military’s actions, affirming in a statement, “The military must relinquish power they've seized and demonstrate respect for the will of the people of Burma, as expressed in their November 8 election.” On February 11, he signed an executive order initiating a freezing of all U.S. funds relating to “the defense sector of the [Myanmar] economy,” cutting off an estimated $1 billion. 

Meanwhile, the military has claimed that they will host a new election once they have sorted out the alleged voter fraud conspiracy. 

“The State Administration Council have never deviated from the multiparty democracy path since it took the administrative power and measures are being taken in line with the 2008 State Constitution,” said an article from New Light of Myanmar, a state-run paper widely viewed as a propaganda outlet. The article described a February 16 meeting between General Min Aung Hlaing, the acting leader of Myanmar, and the Administrative Council, noting how “the emerging situations have resulted from voter list fraud in the previous elections.” 

The military has not suggested a date for this new election, however, suggesting that the deteriorating situation in Myanmar may continue well into the near future.