The military junta in Myanmar filed charges alleging violations of coronavirus safety measures against former civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was detained earlier in February following the country’s military coup.
Suu Kyi’s lawyer, Khin Maung Zaw, said she was facing a second charge of violating the country’s Natural Disaster Law. The Nobel Prize laureate was first detained on Feb. 1 on charges of illegally importing and using communication devices. The army said it was forced to act because of allegations of fraud surrounding its election, claims that were dismissed by the country’s electoral commission.
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Zaw said Suu Kyi convened with a judge on a video call, but because he had not been granted power of attorney, he could not attend the call. The next hearing will be March 1.
When asked whether Suu Kyi was in good health, Maung Zaw said, “No news is good news. We haven’t heard or received bad news.”
Her arrest and the coup have inspired mass demonstrations in Myanmar’s major cities, though the junta caps gatherings at five people. According to the Associated Press, military members fired rubber bullets into a crown of 1,000 protesters on Monday, with local media reporting some injuries.
The military also ordered a nearly complete blackout of internet access on Sunday, and on Monday, it prepared drafting legislation to criminalize online activities that go against the current government.
The United States and European Union have come out strongly against the coup and threatened sanctions against the country. President Biden announced sanctions against the military leaders on Feb. 10.
Suu Kyi, once revered as a humanitarian icon in Europe and the U.S., has seen her legacy complicated by the massacre of Rohingya Muslim minorities in recent years.
“There are no good guys,” an EU official said, underscoring the degree to which European leaders have soured on the Suu Kyi. “But still, the civilian government and situation in a society which tries to complete the transition toward at least [a] partially democratic society and civilian-run society is much better than the alternative of having a junta military regime in power.”
The military said it will hold power for a year before new elections will be held.
