US calls sentencing of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi "affront to justice", renews call for her release

"The Burmese military regime's unjust arrest, conviction and sentencing of Aung San Suu Kyi is an affront to justice and the rule of law," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters, using Myanmar's former name of Burma.

 "We call on the regime to immediately release Aung San Suu Kyi and all those unjustly detained, including other democratically elected leaders," Price said.

On January 10, she was sentenced to four more years in prison for the charges against her under the telecommunications law, the export and import law and the natural disaster management law.

A special court in the Nay Pyi Taw Council area handed down the sentences to her under Section 25 of the Natural Disaster Management Law, Section 67 of the Telecommunications Law and Section 8 of the Export and Import Law.

A two-year sentence was handed down to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi during the January 10 trial. The charge came after U Nyi Nyi (a) U Tun Myint Aung had filed a suit against her under Section 25 of the Natural Disaster Management Law.

The case was related to the gathering that formed after Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, chairperson of the National League for Democracy canvassed for the election in Shwekyabin Ward, Zabuthiri Township, Nay Pyi Taw, on August 19, 2020.

She was also sentenced to two years in prison under the export and import law and one year under the telecommunications law. However, the two sentences will run concurrently.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was charged under Section 67 of the Telecommunications Law and Section 8 of the Export and Import Law as six Icom walkie talkies from her security forces, three Icom walkie talkies from the security gate, one Icom walkie talkie and a pair of jumber were seized from the dorm of her personal assistant at the State Counsellor’s house located in Mya Nan Bon Thar Road, Zeya Theikdi Ward, Zabuthiri Township in Nay Pyi Taw on February 1 and they were illegally imported.

Before the latest sentences, she was also sentenced to four years in jail under Section 505 (b) of the Penal Code of Myanmar and Section 25 of the Natural Disaster Management Law. However, the chairman of the ruling State Administration Council issued a pardon in which her sentence was commuted to two years.

She has so far been sentenced to six years in prison including the latest four-year sentence.

The first two sentences were related to an incident on September 20, 2020. Led by District National League for Democracy chairman Min Thu, about 760 supporters went round in 220 cars and on 32 motorbikes in the Nay Pyi Taw Council area for election campaigning. On the way, the convoy stopped over the gate of the residence of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to receive welcome without following the Covid-19 prevention rules issued by the Ministry of Health.