Lawyer: Myanmar ex-president testifies he refused to resign

Lawyers for Myanmar’s former President Win Myint say he has testified that he defied a demand from the military to resign when the army seized power eight months ago

BANGKOK -- Myanmar’s former President Win Myint, forced out of office eight months ago when the army seized power, testified Tuesday that he defied a demand from the military to resign, saying he would “rather die,” his lawyers said.

Win Myint was giving testimony at his trial on charges of incitement, in which the country’s ousted top leader, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, is his co-defendant. Incitement, defined as spreading false or inflammatory information that could disturb public order, is sometimes referred to as sedition and punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment.

The trial is being held at a special court in the capital Naypyitaw, whose former mayor, Myo Aung, is the third defendant. Suu Kyi and the ex-mayor are slated to testify later.

Win Myint and Suu Kyi have been detained by the military since its Feb. 1 takeover ousted Suu Kyi’s government, which was about to start a second five-year term of office after a landslide election victory in November last year. The military claims it acted to protect democracy because the polls were tainted by massive voter fraud, a contention not backed by independent observers.