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Updated October 28th, 2021 at 15:53 IST

Aung San Suu Kyi's courtroom testimony restricted as Myanmar junta imposes gag order

Myanmar’s ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi testified in court for the first time since she was overthrown in a coup, but her testimony was restricted.

Reported by: Aanchal Nigam
Myanmar
IMAGE: AP | Image:self
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Myanmar’s ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday, 26 October, testified in court for the first time since she was overthrown in a military coup in February, however, her courtroom testimony was restricted. As per The Associated Press, the details of what Suu Kyi stated before the court were not disclosed because of a gag order on her lawyers. All defence lawyers in various cases against Aung San Suu Kyi are barred from providing details of the court proceedings.

Reportedly, the restriction was placed under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which is a broadly worded statute from British colonial times intended to deal with emergency situations that threaten public safety. However, there have been no signs of public unrest in relation to any of her trials. The only accounts of the ongoing proceedings involving Myanmar’s civilian leaders had earlier came from the her defence lawyers and her co-defendants.

Both the reporters and the public are barred from attending the court proceedings and even the prosecutors are asked to not comment on them. Meanwhile, Myanmar’s state-controlled media have not reported directly on the same. Earlier this month, the spokesperson of the country’s junta-led government Major General Zaw Min Tun said that a gag order was imposed on Suu Kyi’s main lawyer because he incited local and foreign media to spread untrue information that could cause the destabilisation of the country.

Myanmar Reeling Under 'Civil War': UN

Meanwhile, United Nations (UN) Secretary General’s Special Envoy to Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener warned that a “civil war” has spread across the Southeast Asian nation. The UN envoy also called on the international community to ponder measures that would restore the civilian government in the country and remove the junta’s administration which seized power earlier this year.

While her term is slated to end on Sunday, she said in an interview with AP that the measures that other nations can take against the junta are imposing sanctions or by UN Security Council “but it’s up to them”. The UN envoy also proposed the idea of holding “an all-inclusive dialogue” to the deputy commander-in-chief, Vice Senior General Soe Win, on 16 July, but said that she did not receive a response.

(IMAGE: AP)

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Published October 28th, 2021 at 15:53 IST

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