Burma’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has had a rare meeting with her lawyer to discuss her continuing house arrest, a National League for Democracy (NLD) spokesman reported on Monday.
The meeting between Suu Kyi, head of the NLD, and lawyer Kyi Win was held on Friday at the Nobel laureate’s Rangoon home, where she has been confined for most of the past 19 years.
NLD spokesman Nyan Win said the two-hour meeting was the first between Suu Kyi and her lawyer since 2004.
“Aung San Suu Kyi has a full right to meet with any lawyer due to the recent one-year extension of her house arrest,” Nyan Win said.
The two discussed what further legal action should be taken in light of the extension of her house arrest, which was contrary to Burmese law, he said.
The NLD has lodged an appeal against the extension of Suu Kyi’s house arrest, but has heard nothing from the authorities.
Aung Htoo, General Secretary of the Thailand-based Burma Lawyers Council, said the meeting was a positive sign, but emphasized that international legal assistance was still needed in the fight to secure Suu Kyi’s release. Burmese domestic laws alone were insufficient.
“Burma’s military junta obviously breaks Burma’s domestic laws by continuing illegally to detain Aung San Suu Kyi,” he said.
Aung Htoo said the continued detention of Suu Kyi detention should be brought before the International Criminal Court, which had legal mechanisms to deal with the case.
While the junta allowed Suu Kyi’s lawyer to meet her on Friday, Burmese authorities arrested 48 activists in Taunggok, Arakan State, as they marched around town to mark the 20-year anniversary of the 1988 uprising. Five protestors were still being held on Monday.
Human rights activist Myint Aye was also arrested on Friday—one day after the departure of the new UN human rights envoy for Burma, Tomas Ojea Quintana.
Quintana was unable to meet Suu Kyi but had talks with NLD party members and the government’s Labour Minister Aung Kyi, who was assigned to coordinate the junta's contacts with the democracy leader after the bloody crackdown on anti-government protests led by Buddhist monks last September.
Quintana said he had received "good signs" that the ruling junta accepted the need for his mandate to investigate widespread claims of human rights abuses in the country.
The meeting between Suu Kyi, head of the NLD, and lawyer Kyi Win was held on Friday at the Nobel laureate’s Rangoon home, where she has been confined for most of the past 19 years.
NLD spokesman Nyan Win said the two-hour meeting was the first between Suu Kyi and her lawyer since 2004.
“Aung San Suu Kyi has a full right to meet with any lawyer due to the recent one-year extension of her house arrest,” Nyan Win said.
The two discussed what further legal action should be taken in light of the extension of her house arrest, which was contrary to Burmese law, he said.
The NLD has lodged an appeal against the extension of Suu Kyi’s house arrest, but has heard nothing from the authorities.
Aung Htoo, General Secretary of the Thailand-based Burma Lawyers Council, said the meeting was a positive sign, but emphasized that international legal assistance was still needed in the fight to secure Suu Kyi’s release. Burmese domestic laws alone were insufficient.
“Burma’s military junta obviously breaks Burma’s domestic laws by continuing illegally to detain Aung San Suu Kyi,” he said.
Aung Htoo said the continued detention of Suu Kyi detention should be brought before the International Criminal Court, which had legal mechanisms to deal with the case.
While the junta allowed Suu Kyi’s lawyer to meet her on Friday, Burmese authorities arrested 48 activists in Taunggok, Arakan State, as they marched around town to mark the 20-year anniversary of the 1988 uprising. Five protestors were still being held on Monday.
Human rights activist Myint Aye was also arrested on Friday—one day after the departure of the new UN human rights envoy for Burma, Tomas Ojea Quintana.
Quintana was unable to meet Suu Kyi but had talks with NLD party members and the government’s Labour Minister Aung Kyi, who was assigned to coordinate the junta's contacts with the democracy leader after the bloody crackdown on anti-government protests led by Buddhist monks last September.
Quintana said he had received "good signs" that the ruling junta accepted the need for his mandate to investigate widespread claims of human rights abuses in the country.
