Legal News

The Precarious Fate of Myanmar Opposition Leader Aung San Suu Kyi

By Dionne Searcey

Say you're an opposition leader holed up under house arrest for 14 of the last 20 years. Suddenly, some random guy swims across your moat. You let him inside, maybe offer him a towel and a place to stay for a couple nights only to find that this earns you a trial and a possible five-year prison term.

That's the fate of Myanmar opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who is charged with violating terms of her house arrest after John Yettaw, 53, of Falcon, Mo., showed up on her doorstep.

On Friday the last defense witness called in her trial argued that the democracy leader violated no existing laws because she is being charged under a constitution abolished 21 years ago.

According to this AP story, the nearly seven-hour witness testimony ended with the court setting July 24 for final arguments in the case, said Suu Kyi’s lawyer Nyan Win. A verdict is not expected on that date.

Riot police were deployed outside Myanmar’s main prison at Friday’s session - a week after the ruling generals blocked efforts by the U.N. chief to save her from prison, the AP said. (Here’s an article on the case from Reuters.)

The international community has condemned the trial and Suu Kyi’s local supporters worry the ruling junta has found an excuse to keep her detained through elections planned for next year. They're expecting a guilty verdict.

So who is the Missourian interloper anyway? He's on trial too, by the way, for trespassing. He says he was sent by God to warn her she might be assassinated; his family says he was working on a book about her.

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on July 10, 2009 (boomark / email).