San Suu Kyi’s to move Supreme Court
2009-10-03 05:54:46 -
Nyan Win, a member of Aung San Suu Kyi’s legal team, said they are ready to file another appeal with the Supreme Court if the divisional court upheld the lower court’s decision. US embassy in Rangoon is in touch with lawyers to defend its detained citizen,
Nyi Nyi Aung also knwon Aung Kyaw Zaw, arrested on arrival in the former Burmese capital’s international airport on September 3 Divisional court in Rangoon on Friday rejected the appeal of detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, upholding a lower court’s decision that sentenced her to yet another period of detention.
Aung San Suu Kyi, General-Secretary of Burma’s main opposition party National League for Democracy was sentenced to three years in August by the northern district court in Rangoon’s Insein
prison though the period of detention was later halved by special order from Senior General Than Shwe.
“The court said it upholds the decision of the district court but decided that the 1974 constitution is no longer in effect. It is very absurd,” a source, with access to the court, told media person.
Aung San Suu Kyi, was charged for breaching her previous terms of detention by ‘harboring’ American John William Yettaw, who swam across a lake and entered into her house in early May, was sentenced by the district court under the 1974 constitution, which defense attorneys argued is no longer in effect. “It is good that the court acknowledged today that the 1974 constitution is no longer in effect, but it is absurd that the court upholds the verdict of the district court, which is based on that constitution,” the source extrapolated.
US embassy in Rangoon is in touch with lawyers to defend its detained citizen, Aung Kyaw Zaw, arrested on arrival in the former Burmese capital’s international airport on September 3. Kyi Win, a high court advocate, on Friday said he was contacted by the US embassy to defend Aung Kyaw Zaw or better known Nyi Nyi Aung, detained in Rangoon Insein prison.“The embassy contacted us to defend him and offered us a fee equivalent to the amount paid to the lawyer they had hired for John William Yettaw. we said we are willing to provide ‘Pro Bono’ free of charge service,” Kyi Win said.
Kyi Win said the embassy had contacted him and his colleague Nyan Win, with whom he teamed up to defend detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, to take up Nyi Nyi Aung’s case.Both Kyi Win and Nyan Win are advocates practicing in the high court.“I don’t know if Nyi Nyi Aung has been charged yet. I am yet to receive a reply from the embassy,” Kyi Win said.
On nature of charges Nyi Nyi Aung jailed , a report in the state-run media the New Light of Myanmar newspaper last week accused Nyi Nyi Aung of trying to instigate civil unrest in cahoots with underground activists inside Burma.A report accused Nyi Nyi Aung of working together with several Burmese organizations in exile including the Forum for Democracy in Burma (FDB), the Student and Youth Congress of Burma (SYCB) and alleged that he had provided financial assistance to activists inside the country.Nyi Nyi Aung was a student activist and was involved in the 1988 student-led uprising. He along with several other students fled to Thailand in the wake of the military crackdown on protesters. Later he was resettled in United States from Thailand and was naturalized as a US citizen.
Nyi Nyi Aung holds a valid US passport and had a legal social visit Visa to Burma. He flew from Bangkok to Rangoon on September 3 on a TG flight.
Nyi Nyi Aung was taken to several interrogation centres, where he allegedly endured torture. He was finally taken to the Insein prison.US embassy spokesman said, Nyi Nyi Aung had complained of ill-treatment during their meeting.Agencies reports.
