Myanmar’s highest court rejected an appeal yesterday by Aung San Suu Kyi’s lawyers to reinstate two key witnesses in a trial that could send the pro-democracy leader to prison for five years.
High Court judge Tin Aung Aye rejected the appeal because it was “intended to disturb and delay the trial,” court officials said on condition of anonymity.
The court’s ruling means Suu Kyi will have only two defense witnesses in her trial, which resumes on Friday.
PHOTO: AP
She is charged with violating the terms of her house arrest when an uninvited man swam secretly to her lakeside home and stayed for two days.
“This is very unfair. The court had allowed 14 prosecution witnesses but only allowed two from the defense,” said Nyan Win, one of Suu Kyi’s lawyers.
“We tried our best to have the trial conducted according to the law but it has failed,” Nyan Win said.
The trial has drawn outrage from world leaders and human rights groups who say Myanmar’s junta is using the incident as an excuse to keep the country’s opposition leader behind bars.
Suu Kyi has been in detention for more than 13 of the last 19 years.
Nyan Win said reinstating the two witnesses would not “delay or defeat the ends of justice.”
Suu Kyi’s main lawyer, Kyi Win, described yesterday’s ruling as a “rejection of justice.”
One defense witness, Khin Moe Moe, is scheduled to testify before the District Court inside Insein prison on Friday.
The trial began May 18. The court at first had allowed only one of four defense witnesses to take the stand. On appeal, the Yangon Divisional Court ruled that Khin Moe Moe also could be heard. Khin Moe Moe is a lawyer and member of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy.
Suu Kyi’s lawyers pursued a second and final appeal to reinstate barred witnesses Win Tin and Tin Oo, senior members of her party.
Prosecutors argued that Win Tin, a prominent former journalist and ex-political prisoner, should not be allowed to testify because he is critical of the government and often gave interviews to foreign media, Nyan Win said.
Prosecutors argued that Tin Oo, the party’s deputy leader, should not be allowed to testify because he is under house arrest, Nyan Win said.
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