WASHINGTON – The United States on Monday criticized Myanmar’s conviction of deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi as an affront to democracy and justice, and demanded the immediate release of the Nobel laureate and other elected officials detained in a Feb. 1 coup.
“The Burmese military regime’s unjust conviction of Aung San Suu Kyi and the repression of other democratically elected officials are yet further affronts to democracy and justice in Burma,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
A court in military-ruled Myanmar sentenced Suu Kyi to four years in detention on Monday on charges of incitement and breaching coronavirus restrictions. State television later said the sentence had been reduced to two years in a partial pardon.
The United States and other Western nations have already imposed sanctions on the Myanmar generals who seized power and detained Suu Kyi along with officials from her National League for Democracy party that won an election in November 2020, including President Win Myint.
“The regime’s continued disregard for the rule of law and its widespread use of violence against the Burmese people underscore the urgency of restoring Burma’s path to democracy,” Blinken added.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Simon Lewis; Editing by Alex Richardson)
