On the Day of Her Scheduled Release, Aung San Suu Kyi Remains on Trial

On the day Aung San Suu Kyi was scheduled to be released from her six-year-long house arrest, the Burmese opposition leader remains on trial for violating the terms of her sentence--even though the American intruder she's accused of housing came uninvited and there is some evidence that Burmese officials did little to stop him.

Apparently relenting to calls from President Obama and the international community for Suu Kyi's release, Myanmar announced yesterday that it is officially ending her house arrest, though she remains in custody with the trial ongoing. Supporters of the Nobel Peace Prize winner claim that the trumped up charges are a thinly-veiled ploy by government officials to lock Suu Kyi up before pivotal elections are held next year. Questioning the ongoing legal proceedings, Obama said the "continued detention, isolation, and show trial based on spurious charges cast serious doubt" on Myanmar's dedication to the rule of law and democracy.

Already, reports from foreign diplomats and journalists allowed into the Rangun courtroom indicate that Suu Kyi is not getting a fair rub. Today, the BBC reported that three of the four defense witnesses called to testify on behalf of Suu Kyi have been rejected by judges, though the prosecution has been allowed 14 witnesses. If convicted, Suu Kyi faces up to five years in prison.

Suu Kyi's arrest will no doubt end the Obama Administration's softening of sanctions alluded to by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in February. Earlier this week, Obama called for her "immediate and unconditional" release, echoing a State Department official's claims that Suu Kyi's wrongful conviction could result in harshened diplomatic action against Myanmar. On May 15, the White House informed Congress that it would be ramping up sanctions against Rangun to force the junta there to cooperate with opposition leaders. Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, won government control in popular elections in 1990, but were denied power by the sitting government. Suu Kyi has been in custody for 16 of the past 19 years.

photo credit: lewishamdreamers's Flickr photostream (creative commons)