Aung San Suu Kyi handed a four-year prison sentence in a military ‘courtroom circus’ | Aung San Suu Kyi

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A Myanmar military court has sentenced Aung San Suu Kyi to four years in prison for various crimes, including illegal possession of radios, the latest verdict in a string of cases that could lead to her spending the rest of her life in detention.

She has been held by the military since 1 February, when it toppled her democratically elected government, plunging the country into chaos. Since then, the 76-year-old has been targeted with a slew of charges that her lawyer previously described as absurd.

On Monday, Aung San Suu Kyi was found guilty of charges related to illegal import and possession of walkie-talkies, and of breaching coronavirus rules, according to the Associated Press.

There was scant information about the proceedings at any of her trials, which could not be accessed by the media or observers. Her lawyer was also prevented from speaking to journalists.

Monday’s ruling comes on top of an earlier ruling handed down in December, when Aung San Suu Kyi was convicted of incitement and a separate charge of breaching Covid restrictions. She was sentenced to four years in prison, although that was reduced to two, and junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said she could serve her sentence under house arrest in the capital, Naypyidaw. It is not known where she is being held.

The December ruling sparked a challenge among the public, who protested by banging pots and pans – an act traditionally believed to ward off evil spirits, and also used to show opposition to the military. Rights groups as well as the United States, the United Nations and the European Union condemned the ruling.

Phil Robertson, deputy director of the Asia division at Human Rights Watch, described the case Monday as a “courtroom circus of secret proceedings over fictitious charges,” intended to dismiss them as a political threat. Her party, the National League for Democracy, won a landslide victory in the November 2020 elections, but the army refused to accept the result.

The coup sparked massive street protests across the country, which were met with deadly violence by the military as well as thousands of arrests. According to the Association for the Assistance of Political Prisoners, 1,447 people have been killed by the military since February, and 11,421 people have been arrested.

Robertson said the junta is violating the human rights of everyone, from Aung San Suu Kyi and other elected officials of the previous government to activists on the street.

“Once again, Aung San Suu Kyi has become a symbol of what is happening to her country and is back in the role of a political pawn of a hell bent on seizing power using intimidation and violence. For her good fortune and for the future of Myanmar, the Myanmar People’s Movement has grown exponentially beyond the mere leadership of one woman and one political party.”

The military council continues to face widespread opposition, including peaceful protest movements and armed resistance. The military struggled to control the country: On top of the escalating conflict, public services including education, health, and the economy had collapsed into crisis.

Aung San Suu Kyi, who previously spent a total of 15 years in detention campaigning against the military, is also facing other charges, including allegations of election fraud, corruption and violation of the Official Secrets Act. If found guilty in all cases, the junta could detain her for the rest of her life.

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