Myanmar court moves venue for secrets trial of Australian

Lawyers say a court in Myanmar has agreed to change the venue for the trial of an Australian economist and adviser to ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi on charges of violating the nation’s official secrets law

BANGKOK -- A court in Myanmar has agreed to change the venue for the trial of an Australian economist and adviser to ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi on charges of violating the nation’s official secrets law, lawyers said Tuesday. Sean Turnell was charged along with Suu Kyi and three former Cabinet ministers under the law in March, a month after the military ousted Suu Kyi’s elected government and seized power. The decision by the country’s Supreme Court will move the trial from Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city where Turnell was arrested, to the capital, Naypyitaw, said one of Suu Kyi’s lawyers, Kyi Win. That will consolidate most of the legal cases against Suu Kyi in a single location. The cases, lodged at the behest of the military-installed government, are widely seen as an effort to discredit Suu Kyi and prevent her from returning to politics.