The last defense witness in the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi says the
Burmese opposition leader violated no existing laws, because the
constitution was abolished during the country's 1988 military coup.
Khin Moe Moe, a member of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for
Democracy party, testified Friday at a seven-hour court session in
Rangoon, after the democracy leader's trial resumed. He is only the
second defense witness the court has allowed, while the prosecution was
allowed 14.
Aung San Suu Kyi faces five years in prison for allegedly violating the
terms of her house arrest after allowing an uninvited guest in without
official permission. She has been held at Insein prison in Rangoon
since the May incident.
British diplomatic official (Charge D'Affaires) Jeremy Hodges was not allowed to observe Friday's court proceedings after being told he did not have the proper permission.
The trial is set to resume July 24 when final arguments will begin.
Friday's court session came a week after U.N. Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon visited Burma to ask that she be released. Mr. Ban was not
allowed to meet with the democracy leader, which he called "deeply
disappointing."
Aung San Suu Kyi is on trial for allegedly letting American John Yettaw
stay with her for two nights after he swam to her home uninvited in
May. Two of Aung San Suu Kyi's live-in assistants and the American man
who unexpectedly turned up at her house also are on trial, facing
similar jail time.
International right groups accuse Burma's military government of using
the trial as a pretext to keep her in detention through next year's
elections.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party won Burma's last
elections in 1990, but the military refused to honor the results. She
has been under house arrest for more than 13 of the past 19 years.