Aung San Suu Kyi Sentenced to 2 Years... International Community Condemns "Unfair Verdict" Fiercely

China Avoids Direct Commentary on Sentencing

State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi (Photo by AP)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The military junta of Myanmar's coup sentenced State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi to two years in prison on the 6th (local time), drawing strong criticism from the international community.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the guilty verdict against Suu Kyi as "an unjust ruling that violates the principles of democracy and justice."

In a statement, Secretary Blinken criticized, "The military regime's continued disregard for the rule of law and widespread violence against the people of Myanmar clearly demonstrates the urgent need for Myanmar to restore its path to democracy."

Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, also stated, "The EU strongly condemns this politically motivated sentence, which marks another major setback for Myanmar's democracy since the February coup."

Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, criticized, "The verdict from a secret trial held before a military-controlled court is purely politically motivated."

The Nobel Committee, which awarded Suu Kyi the Nobel Peace Prize in 1981, expressed concern, saying, "We are worried about the impact this ruling will have on Myanmar's democracy," and "The long prison sentence is also concerning for Suu Kyi personally."

Richard Horsey, Senior Adviser on Myanmar at the International Crisis Group, described the partial pardon as "more of a managed step than the verdict itself," adding, "It seems like an attempt to appear lenient but has failed." He also criticized, "The military still claims election fraud as the main justification for the coup."

Meanwhile, China reportedly avoided direct comments on the sentence, according to the Associated Press. At a regular briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian responded to questions about the Suu Kyi sentence by saying, "We hope that all parties and factions in Myanmar will narrow their differences."

That night, the Myanmar military junta reduced the four-year sentence given to Suu Kyi and President Win Myint to two years. Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar military leading the junta, announced in a statement broadcast on state TV that the sentences for the two would be reduced as part of a pardon.

The military explained that Suu Kyi and President Win Myint would serve their sentences under house arrest at an undisclosed location in the capital, Naypyidaw.

In addition to the charges of incitement and violation of COVID-19 quarantine measures for which the sentence was handed down, Suu Kyi was indicted on 12 other charges including corruption and violation of official secrets laws, with trials for the other charges expected to continue in the future.