Myanmar Supreme Court dismisses appeals of Aung San Suu Kyi corruption convictions

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According to Bloomberg News, and the Associated Press, the Supreme Court of Myanmar rejected special motions of appeal on Friday in relation to former State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and her six corruption convictions. Suu Kyi was convicted of corruption for violating the Natural Disaster Management Law (NDML), the Communication Law, and section 505(b), of the Myanmar Penal Code. Section 505(b), which deals with defamation of the military, and the undermining of the national order, is the section that Suu Kyi was partially pardoned on. The Supreme Court has not made Suu Kyi’s charges public. The exact location of Suu Kyi’s detention is not known. AP News reported that Suu Kyi’s legal team has been trying to meet her since January to discuss special appeals, but they were not allowed to. According to reports, the military junta claimed that Suu Kyi had obtained land in order to build a residence for herself even though she was supposed get it as a gift from a charity. Suu Kyi may seek a reexamination of her appeals by the Myanmar Special Appeals Tribunal, or Plenary Tribunal after the Supreme Court dismissed the appeals. The legal team must convince the chief justice of either court that a reexamination would be in Suu Kyi’s best interest. The military junta has ignored her requests to receive “urgent” dental treatment. Suu Kyi established the National League for Democracy in the 1990s. Suu Kyi was arrested by the Myanmar military for alleged electoral fraud after an overwhelming NLD election victory in 2020. The military junta disbanded the NLD in March 2023 and 40 other opposition groups under a new Political Party Registry Law.