Aung San Suu Kyi in ‘Good Health,’ Says Myanmar Junta as it Lays New Charges on Her

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi appeared in court online on Tuesday to face new charges brought against her by the military regime, as growing numbers of government employees refused to go to work in defiance of the junta, whose spokesman said the detained 75-year-old leader is “in good health.”

After the Feb. 1 coup that deposed the democratically elected government, Aung San Suu Kyi initially was charged with possession of illegally imported walkie-talkie radios found in her home in Naypyidaw, an offense that carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.

On Tuesday, police filed a second charge against her for allegedly violating laws on public gatherings amid COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, attorney Khin Maung Zaw told reporters after the hearing. “The charges are now different from the earlier ones,” he said. In addition to the case on the initial charge for possession of the walkie-talkies, Aung San Suu Kyi has been hit with a new charge under Section 25 Natural Disaster Management Law, which pertains to the willful violation of Myanmar’s COVID-related restrictions on public gatherings and carries a penalty of imprisonment up to three years and a fine, said Khin Maung Zaw

“We will take care of both cases,” he said, adding that Aung San Suu Kyi’s next court appearance by video will be on March 1.

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