Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi blamed a “security breach” for a bizarre visit by an American that put her in a prison courtroom this week and implied that Myanmar’s military government was at fault, according to a statement released by her political party on Thursday.
“The fact that I am the only party being prosecuted shows the partiality of the prosecution,” the Nobel Peace Prize laureate said in the statement, which was submitted to the court on Wednesday.
Suu Kyi’s defense suffered a setback on Thursday when the court rejected three out of four witnesses whom her defense team sought to have testify, making it likely the proceedings will finish this week.
If found guilty, Suu Kyi faces up to five years in jail. Myanmar’s courts operate under the influence of the military and almost always deal harshly with political dissidents.
Nyan Win, one of Suu Kyi’s lawyers, said only a legal expert, Kyi Win, would be allowed to testify. Suu Kyi’s defense is seeking to prove that her harboring of the uninvited American did not violate the conditions of her house arrest.
The court rejected the other witnesses, all members of Suu Kyi’s party, including one under house arrest, saying their testimony was aimed at “vexation or delay or for defeating the ends of justice.”
{{/usCountry}}The court rejected the other witnesses, all members of Suu Kyi’s party, including one under house arrest, saying their testimony was aimed at “vexation or delay or for defeating the ends of justice.”
{{/usCountry}}