Myanmar’s Suu Kyi jailed for 5 years in corruption case

dpa Bangkok A court controlled by the military junta in Myanmar sentenced ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to five years in prison on Wednesday, according t...

dpa BangkokA court controlled by the military junta in Myanmar sentenced ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to five years in prison on Wednesday, according to the sources familiar with the proceedings.It is the first sentence amidst eleven corruption charges she faces under an anti-corruption law. Each of the charges carries a potential sentence of a maximum 15 years in prison.Suu Kyi was convicted of allegedly accepting a bribe of $600,000 dollars in cash and gold bars from the former chief minister of Yangon. She has rejected the claim.Journalists and members of the public were banned from attending the trial.She has already been sentenced to six years in prison for five lighter counts including possession of a walkie talkie and violating coronavirus restrictions.Suu Kyi, 76, faces prison sentences totalling more than 160 years in prison.It also unclear whether Suu Kyi will actually have to serve time in prison or be allowed to remain under house arrest.Suu Kyi was arrested on February 1 last year, hours before the military overthrew the country’s democratically elected civilian leaders and returned the country to military rule.Myanmar has been in political turmoil since the military coup, with the military struggling to contain peaceful street protests and civil disobedience movements, as well as the armed resistance by anti-junta militias across the country seeking to unseat the military government by force.According to rights group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners which documents the killings and human rights violations, at least 1,700 people were killed, and more than 13,000 people were arrested since the coup.