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Trial of Aung San Suu Kyi resumes
The trial of Myanmar's jailed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi resumed today with her lawyers set to present a final argument in their efforts to save the Nobel laureate from a possible five-year prison term.
The trial of Myanmar's jailed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi resumed on Friday with her lawyers set to present a final argument in their efforts to save the Nobel laureate from a possible five-year prison term.
Suu Kyi, 64, is charged with violating the terms of her house arrest by harboring an uninvited American man who swam to her lakeside home and stayed for two days.
"We are very optimistic because our arguments are based on solid legal points," Suu Kyi's main lawyer Kyi Win said. "We have the law on our side, but we don't know if the judges are on our side."
The prosecutors will also present their closing argument during the widely criticised proceedings. The verdict is expected sometime next month.
The defense has not contested the facts of the case but argues that the relevant law has been misapplied by the authorities and that Suu Kyi was charged under a constitution abolished two decades ago. They also assert that the security guards who ensure Suu Kyi remained inside her compound should be held responsible for any intrusion on her property.
Security was tight around Insein prison -- where Suu Kyi is being held and the trial is ongoing -- with roads blocked with barbed wire barricades manned by police.
Diplomats from Britain, France, Germany, Norway and Italy who had earlier requested access would be allowed into the courtroom for today's session, a diplomat said on condition of anonymity, citing protocol.
