| 6
May |
|
SPDC
arrested John William Yettaw, a 53-year-old American man,
while he was swimming in Rangoon’s Inya Lake. The SPDC
alleged that the man was returning from a visit to Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi’s lakeside residence. The junta also said
that the man had spent two nights at Daw Suu’s home
before leaving late on 5 May. |
| |
|
|
| 7
May |
|
Twenty
police officers entered Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's residence.
SPDC authorities detained Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s doctor
Tin Myo Win after they had denied him access to her as part
of the routine monthly check-up. |
| |
|
|
| 8
May |
|
SPDC
authorities replaced existing security guard personnel at
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s compound. SPDC allowed Tin Myo
Win’s assistant Pyone Moe Ei to visit Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi. Pyone Moe Ei gave her an intravenous drip. |
| |
|
|
| 9
May |
|
NLD
spokesman Nyan Win said that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was “not
in good health” as she was suffering from low blood
pressure, dehydration, and had not eaten for several days.
SPDC denied permission to Pyone Moe Ei to visit Daw Suu again. |
| |
|
|
| 10
May |
|
NLD
urged the SPDC to allow Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to receive medical
attention, saying it was concerned about her health. |
| |
|
|
| 11
May |
|
SPDC
allowed Pyone Moe Ei to make a follow-up visit to Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi. |
| |
|
|
| 12
May |
|
NLD
spokesman Nyan Win said that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s
health had improved. SPDC authorities tightened security in
the back of Daw Aung Suu Kyi’s home. Workers rolled
barbed wire and erected a tall wooden fence. |
| |
|
|
| 14
May |
|
SPDC
authorities took Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from her residence and
detained her in Insein prison in connection with Yettaw’s
intrusion into her compound. SPDC authorities also detained
Daw Suu’s maids Khin Khin Win and Win Ma Ma. Lawyer
Kyi Win visited Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Kyi Win said Daw Suu
“looked good and was mentally very strong.” |
| |
|
|
| 15
May |
|
SPDC
barred lawyer Aung Thein from defending Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. |
| |
|
|
| 16
May |
|
SPDC
released Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s doctor, Tin Myo Win. |
| |
|
|
| 18
May |
|
The
closed-door trial of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s began inside
Insein prison. The regime charged Daw Suu with violating Article
22 of the 1975 State Protection Law. The regime argued that
Daw Suu violated the conditions of her house arrest by allowing
Yettaw to stay at her compound. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi initially
refused to enter the court room or to acknowledge her case
when the court abbreviated her name to “Suu Kyi,”
leaving out “Aung San.” “If you cannot call
me by my right name, I will not move,” she told the
court. When court officials relented and used her full name,
she entered the court room. |
| |
|
|
| 19
May |
|
Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi told her lawyers that she was “ready
to face anything.” |
| |
|
|
| 20
May |
|
SPDC
allowed 29 diplomats and 10 Burmese journalists to attend
the 45-minute hearing. When the hearing ended, Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi turned to the diplomats and journalists seated behind
her and said, “Thank you for coming and for your support.
I’m sorry I can’t meet you one by one. I hope
to meet you in better days.” After the hearing, the
SPDC allowed the Ambassador of Singapore, and senior Russian
and Thai diplomats to meet with Daw Suu inside the prison
compound. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi told the three diplomats that
she “did not wish to use the intrusion into her home
as a way to get at the Myanmar authorities” and expressed
hope for “national reconciliation if all parties so
wished.” She also said that “it was not too late
for something good to come out of this unfortunate incident.” |
| |
|
|
| 21
May |
|
SPDC
authorities removed the last of the barriers that were used
to maintain roadblocks on either end on the street where Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi's house is located. |
| |
|
|
| 22
May |
|
The court formally indicted Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi on charges of violating the conditions of her house
arrest. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi plead not guilty to those charges.
“I am not guilty. I said I am not guilty because I
have not broken any law," she told the court. Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi told her lawyers she was responsible for allowing
Yettaw to stay at her home on humanitarian grounds. She
had asked him to leave, but Yettaw said he was too exhausted.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi also told her lawyers that she did
not want him or the security personnel in charge of her
house to get into trouble because of her. Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi said the incident occurred because of lax security at
her compound.
SPDC consul general in Hong Kong Ye Myint
Aung posted a denigrating message on the consulate’s
website suggesting that John Yettaw might have been Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi’s “boyfriend.”
|
| |
|
|
25
May |
|
The prosecution dropped its nine
remaining witnesses from the original list of 23. |
| |
|
|
| 26
May |
|
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi took the witness stand.
In her testimony, she denied any wrongdoing in giving temporary
shelter to Yettaw. The SPDC allowed about 40 diplomats and
35 Burmese in the courtroom. After the hearing, Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi greeted a few foreign diplomats and said, “Thank
you for your concern and support. It is always good to see
people from the outside world.”
The SPDC formally ended Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi’s six-year house arrest – but she remained
in Insein prison to face charges of violating the terms
of her house arrest. Police Brig Gen Myint Thein told diplomats
and reporters that SPDC authorities had considered releasing
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on “humanitarian grounds and
because she is the daughter of the country's founder Aung
San,” but that the situation had “regretfully”
changed following the incident involving Yettaw.
|
| |
|
|
27
May |
|
The court
rejected three of four witnesses for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
The court called their testimony an attempt at “vexation
or delay or for defeating the ends of justice.” The
court heard the testimony of Yettaw and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s
maids Khin Khin Win and Win Ma Ma. Yettaw testified that God
had sent him to Burma to protect Daw Aung San Suu Kyi because
he had a dream that a terrorist group would assassinate her.
Yettaw also said that during his 3 May visit to Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi’s house he met five armed security personnel
but they only threw stones at him and did nothing to prevent
him from entering Daw Suu’s compound. |
| |
|
|
28
May |
|
The court
heard the testimony of one of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s
lawyers, Kyi Win. Kyi Win was the only defense witness that
the court allowed to take the stand. Kyi Win argued there
was no legal basis to charge Daw Aung San Suu Kyi with violating
the terms of her house arrest. |
| |
|
|
29
May |
|
The court
extended the date for lawyers to make closing arguments to
5 June. The NLD expressed “grave concern” over
the health of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The party said that Daw
Suu could not sleep well because she suffered from leg cramps. |
|
|
|
30
May |
|
Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi met with her lawyers to prepare closing arguments.
One of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s lawyers, Nyan Win, said
that her health was improving. |
| |
|
|
31
May |
|
SPDC Deputy
Defense Minister Maj Gen Aye Myint said Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
“covered up” the truth by failing to report Yettaw’s
presence at her home. “Thus there was no option but
to open legal proceedings in accordance with the law,”
Aye Myint said. |
|
|
|
1
Jun |
|
Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi’s lawyers began the preparation of closing
arguments for her trial. |
|
|
|
2
Jun |
|
Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi’s lawyers lodged an appeal to overturn the
court’s decision to bar defense witnesses Win Tin, Tin
Oo, and Khin Moe Moe from testifying. |
|
|
|
3
Jun |
|
The Rangoon
Divisional Court agreed to accept the appeal that sought to
reinstate defense witnesses Win Tin, Tin Oo, and Khin Moe
Moe. |
|
|
|
5
Jun |
|
The Rangoon
Divisional Court heard arguments on the appeal to reinstate
defense witnesses Win Tin, Tin Oo, and Khin Moe Moe, and fixed
a date of 9 June for their decision on the matter. The court
in Insein prison adjourned Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s trial
to 12 June. |
|
|
|
9
Jun |
|
The Rangoon Divisional Court decided to
allow Khin Moe Moe to testify but upheld the ban on witnesses
Tin Oo and Win Tin.
In an attempt to pressure Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi’s defense team, the SPDC suddenly sacked Khin
Khin Aye, the wife of one of Daw Suu’s lawyers, Hla
Myo Myint. Khin Khin Aye worked as a senior manger of the
Central Cooperative Society under the SPDC Ministry of Cooperatives.
|
|
|
|
10
Jun |
|
Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi met with her defense lawyer Nyan Win in Insein
prison. Nyan Win said that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was in “good
health.” Daw Aung San Suu Kyi instructed her legal team
to push ahead with an appeal to the Supreme Court to allow
Tin Oo and Win Tin to testify at her trial. |
|
|
|
11
Jun |
|
Lawyers
for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi filed an appeal to the Supreme Court
to reinstate defense witnesses Tin Oo and Win Tin. |
|
|
|
12
Jun |
|
Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi appeared in court for a 20-minute hearing. The
court adjourned her trial to 26 June in order to hear the
testimony of defense witness Khin Moe Moe.
The Supreme Court said it would convene on
17 June to decide whether it will agree to accept the appeal
to reinstate defense witnesses Tin Oo and Win Tin.
|
|
|
|
17
Jun |
|
The Supreme
Court agreed to accept the appeal to reinstate defense witnesses
Tin Oo and Win Tin. |
| |
|
|
22
Jun |
|
Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi met with her legal team for two hours in Insein
prison to prepare closing arguments for her trial. |
|
|
|
24
Jun |
|
The Supreme
Court held a hearing on the appeal to reinstate defense witnesses
Tin Oo and Win Tin. |
| |
|
|
25
Jun |
|
SPDC Police
chief Brig Gen Khin Yi said the length of Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi’s trial depended on the courts. |
|
|
|
26
Jun |
|
The court
adjourned the trial to 3 July for the testimony of defense
witness Khin Moe Moe. |
|
|
|
29
Jun |
|
The Supreme
Court rejected the appeal to reinstate defense witnesses Tin
Oo and Win Tin. Supreme Court judge Tin Aung Aye said the
appeal was rejected because the witnesses’ testimony
was “intended to disturb and delay the trial.” |
| |
|
|
30
Jun |
|
Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi met her lawyers Nyan Win, Kyi Win, Khin Htay Kywe,
and Hla Myo Myint in Insein prison. |
|
|
|
3
Jul |
|
The court
adjourned the trial to 10 July for the testimony of defense
witness Khin Moe Moe. |
|
|
|
5
Jul |
|
State-run
newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported that SPDC Chairman
Sr Gen Than Shwe denied the UN Secretary-General’s request
for a meeting with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi because “the
case is being heard freely and fairly.” |
|
|
|
8
Jul |
|
Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi met with her defense team in Insein prison to
discuss closing arguments. |
|
|
|
10
Jul |
|
The court
heard the testimony of defense witness Khin Moe Moe. During
three and a half hours of cross-examination, Khin Moe Moe
argued that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was innocent because the
SPDC charged her under the 1974 constitution, which the military
regime had abolished in 1988. At the end of the hearing, Khin
Moe Moe told reporters that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi looked “healthy
and alert.” The court adjourned the trial to 24 July
to hear closing arguments. |
| |
|
|
17
Jul |
|
Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi met her lawyers in Insein prison to discuss closing
arguments. |
| |
|
|
22
Jul |
|
SPDC authorities
prevented Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from meeting her legal team. |
| |
|
|
23
Jul |
|
Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi met her lawyers in Insein prison to finalize closing
arguments. |
| |
|
|
24
Jul |
|
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s lawyer Kyi
Win presented closing arguments. Kyi Win argued that she was
innocent because the SPDC charged her under the 1974 constitution,
which the military regime had abolished in 1988. The SPDC
allowed diplomats from the embassies of US, UK, France, Germany,
Italy, and Norway to attend the hearing. “She [Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi] was well and in good spirits,” said a diplomat.
State-run newspaper New Light of Myanmar
said that demanding the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi means
showing “reckless disregard for the law. […] The
court will hand down a reasonable term to her if she is found
guilty,” it said. “Daw Suu Kyi […] is not
a political prisoner, but a person who is on trial for breaching
an existing law.”
|
| |
|
|
27
Jul |
|
Lawyers
for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s two female aides and John
Yettaw presented their closing arguments. The prosecution
also gave its closing arguments. The prosecution lawyer said
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi violated her detention law under the
1974 constitution by allowing John Yettaw into her house.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's legal team petitioned the court to
allow the testimony of a third defense witness, the SPDC’s
former Ambassador to the UN Nyunt Maung Shein. The defense
argued that the SPDC could not try Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for
allegedly breaking her detention order because she was never
officially under detention. Indeed, Nyunt Maung Shein had
stated on various occasion at the UN that the SPDC had kept
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at her Rangoon home “for her own
safety.” The SPDC allowed diplomats from the embassies
of US, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, and the Philippines
to attend the morning hearing. |
| |
|
|
28
Jul |
|
The court
rejected the petition of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s defense
team to hear the testimony of the SPDC’s former Ambassador
to the UN Nyunt Maung Shein. Lawyers for Daw Aung Suu Kyi
and her three co-defendants replied to closing arguments presented
by prosecutor Myint Kyaing the previous day. The court announced
it would deliver the verdict on 31 July. The SPDC allowed
diplomats from Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and the US to attend
the hearing. After the hearing, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi thanked
the diplomats “for trying to promote a just outcome.”
“I'm afraid the verdict will be painfully obvious,”
she added. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi told her lawyer Nyan Win that
she was “prepared for the worst.” |
| |
|
|
31
Jul |
|
The court
postponed the verdict to 11 August. “The judge said
he was adjourning the trial because of the need to interpret
legal terms relating to the 1974 constitution,” said
a diplomat who had attended the proceedings. |
| |
|
|
11
Aug |
|
The court
sentenced Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to three years in prison and
hard labor for allegedly violating the conditions of her house
arrest. SPDC Sr Gen Than Shwe commuted the sentence to 18
months under house arrest. The court sentenced John Yettaw
to seven years in prison, including four years of hard labor,
on charges of trespassing, immigration violation, and swimming
in a restricted zone. The court also sentenced Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi’s two maids, Khin Khin Win and Win Ma Ma, to
three years in prison and hard labor, commuted to 18 months
under house arrest within Daw Suu’s compound. The SPDC
allowed about 50 diplomats and 25 Burmese journalists to attend
the hearing. After the verdict’s announcement, Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi thanked foreign diplomats and said, “I hope
we can all work for peace and prosperity of the country.”
|
| |
|
|
3
Sep |
|
Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi’s lawyers lodged an appeal on her 11 August
conviction that extended her house arrest by 18 months at
the Rangoon Divisional Court. |
|
|
|
4
Sep |
|
The Rangoon
Divisional Court accepted the appeal against the conviction
of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and set the hearing date for 18 September. |
|
|
|
10
Sep |
|
Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi met her legal team to discuss the appeal against
her conviction. |
|
|
|
16
Sep |
|
Rangoon
Divisional Court decided to bar Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from
attending her 18 September appeal hearing. |
|
|
|
18
Sep |
|
Rangoon
Divisional Court heard arguments on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s
appeal and scheduled its decision for 2 October. |
|
|
|
2
Oct |
|
Rangoon
Divisional Court rejected Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s appeal.
The court said the provisions of the 1975 State Protection
Law under which Daw Suu had been kept under house arrest remained
in force. |
| |
|
|
13
Nov |
|
Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi’s legal team filed an appeal to the Supreme
Court over her conviction. |
| |
|
|
4
Dec |
|
The Supreme
Court agreed to hear Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s appeal. |
| |
|
|
26
Feb 2010 |
|
The Supreme
Court rejected Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s appeal. Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi’s two housekeepers also had their appeals
rejected. |