Last witness speaks at trial of Myanmar's Suu Kyi

Sunday, May 31, 2009 at 9:55 PM Posted by Beijing News


YANGON, Myanmar – The sole witness allowed for pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi insisted Thursday that she had broken no law, as a Myanmar court heard final testimony before closing arguments in a trial that could send the Nobel Peace Prize laureate to prison for five years.

Kyi Win, a legal expert and a member of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, argued there was no legal basis to the charge that Suu Kyi had violated the terms of her house arrest when an uninvited American swam secretly to her home.

Prosecutors seemed very unhappy at his testimony, Kyi Win told reporters outside the courtroom after the trial's ninth day. Accounts of testimony have generally come only from the state press and defense lawyer Nyan Win because reporters have been barred from all but two of the sessions.

The trial has drawn outrage from the international community and Suu Kyi's local supporters, who worry that the military junta has found an excuse to keep her detained through next year's elections. Her party won the last elections in 1990 but was not allowed to take power by the military, which has run the country since 1962.

Her six years of house arrest had been due to end Wednesday, but the American's bizarre visit this month brought her arrest instead.

Suu Kyi's defense team has acknowledged that John W. Yettaw swam to and sneaked into her lakeside home, where he stayed for two days. But they insist it was the duty of government guards outside her closely watched house to prevent any intruders.

Her lawyers also are strongly contesting the validity of the case against Suu Kyi because the police who charged her cited sections of the country's 1974 constitution, which was annulled when the military took power in 1988. The country adopted a new charter last year.

A police officer testified last week that Suu Kyi was held under a law that did not allow her to enjoy the fundamental rights prescribed in the 1974 constitution, including receiving, contacting and talking to anyone and giving permission to anyone to stay at her house.

Her lawyers contend the charge is not valid because the law it is based on refers to a constitution that is not in force.

The court at Yangon's Insein Prison rejected three other defense witnesses Wednesday. It had approved 23 prosecution witnesses, and 14 of them testified.

The court is to recess on Friday and hear closing arguments from both sides on Monday, Kyi Win said.

Lawyer Nyan Win said the defense team would submit a letter Friday seeking permission for a private meeting with their clients on Saturday. Yettaw and two female party members who live with Suu Kyi face the same charge as Suu Kyi and have also pleaded not guilty.

Yettaw, of Falcon, Missouri, told the court Wednesday he had been sent by God to warn Suu Kyi of his premonition that she would be assassinated by terrorists, Nyan Win said.

Yettaw, 53, also secretly went to her house late last year but did not meet Suu Kyi.

Suu Kyi acknowledges that she allowed him to stay for two days this month because he said he was too tired and ill to leave immediately.

Yettaw also testified that security personnel observed him during both of his visits but did not try to stop him, Nyan Win said.







An unidentified worker checks sprinklers, at sunset. AP Photo/Hasan Jamali

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