Former Democratic leader of Myanmar Aung Suu Kyi has appeared before a court dressed like a prisoner wearing a white top and a brown coloured wraparound called longyi which is the uniform for a prisoner in the country, according to reports.
Aung Suu Kyi who was found guilty by a Myanmar court for violation of COVID protocols is currently facing a two-year prison term and has been locked up in an undisclosed location by the authorities. She also faces multiple charges against her which might keep her imprisoned for life.
Daughter of Myanmar’s independence hero, General Aung San, Aung Suu Kyi had fought to usher democracy in Myanmar which propelled her to achieve international recognition as a woman who led the path of peaceful resistance against all odds. During the period of her struggle which was aimed at leading Myanmar towards democracy, she was detained for over a decade between 1989 and 2010. Later she led her party National League for Democracy (NLD) to a landslide victory in 2015 in Myanmar’s first publicly contested election in 25 years.
Aung Suu Kyi known as “the Lady” is massively popular among the Buddhists majority in Myanmar. A 2020 survey conducted by the People’s Alliance for Credible Elections revealed that 79% of people had trust in her which had only increased from the previous 70%.
Notably, Aung Suu Kyi who had assumed the title of state counsellor was brought down by the military after her party emerged victorious again in the 2020 elections receiving even more votes than in 2015. The military in its coup orchestrated a crackdown in which several political leaders including Aung Suu Kyi were arrested.
Earlier Indian Foreign Ministry had issued a statement in which spokesman Arindam Bagchi said, “We are disturbed at the recent verdicts. As a neighbouring democracy, India has been consistently supportive of the democratic transition in Myanmar”.
