Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi Pardoned in Five Criminal Cases by Junta – News18

Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi will be pardoned, the nation’s state-run broadcaster said on Tuesday. Myanmar’s ruling junta announced a clemency for the imprisoned democratically-elected civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Democratically-elected leader, President Win Myint, will also be part of this clemency.

Both of these leaders have been incarcerated since the February 2021 coup. The junta has convicted Suu Kyi of 19 offences that carried a total prison sentence of 33 years. She was charged for allegedly indulging in corruption, possession of illegal walkie talkies and flouting coronavirus restrictions.

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

The clemency will not pardon the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Win Myint for all of the alleged offences, but merely reduce their sentences.

Suu Kyi was pardoned in a junta amnesty of more than 7,000 prisoners to mark Buddhist Lent, news agency AFP said in a separate report.

The latest development comes after the junta transferred ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi from a prison in the capital Naypyidaw to 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,” people familiar with the developments told news agency AFP.

Myanmar remains caught in a conflict between rebels and the junta which has led to the displacement of more than one million people.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been pardoned in five criminal cases but she still faces 14 other cases.

The Myanmar’s National Defence and Security Council (NDSC) in Naypyitaw on Monday decided to extend the country’s state of emergency and the term of the junta for a period of six more months.

It is the fourth time junta leader General Aung Min Hlaing extended the emergency.

(with inputs from Myanmar Now)