The head of Myanmar’s military government said Saturday that ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi is in good health and would appear in court in coming days.
Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing was speaking in a May 20 virtual interview with Hong Kong-based broadcaster Phoenix Television, parts of which were released on Saturday,
It was his first interview since overthrowing Suu Kyi on February 1.
Suu Kyi is facing multiple criminal charges, including the possession of unlicensed walkie-talkies, violating COVID-19 restrictions, breaching telecommunication laws and incitement to cause public unrest. She has also been accused by the junta of accepting $600,000 in illegal payments.
The coup triggered a crisis in the Southeast Asian country that has led to deadly anti-junta demonstrations and clashes between several armed ethnic groups and the ruling junta.
According to local media reports, one such group, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), attacked an army post early Saturday in the Sagaing region.
Junta leaders have sought to justify their coup by saying the November 8 election won by Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy was fraudulent, an accusation the electoral commission rejected.
In the meantime Protesters have been demanding the return of the civilian government that led 10 years of democratic reforms under Suu Kyi’s watch.
In a campaign to quell the protests, the government has killed more than 800 protesters and bystanders since the takeover, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which tracks casualties and arrests.
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