Burmese Democracy Icon Meets Diplomats after Trial
By VOA News
20 May 2009
Detained Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi greeted foreign diplomats who appeared in the courtroom at the third day of her trial Wednesday.
The leader of the National League for Democracy party is charged with breaking the terms of her house arrest after an American man swam to the her lakeside home earlier this month and stayed there for a couple of days.
If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison. Her two female live-in assistants are also on trial.
Aung San Suu Kyi thanked the diplomats for attending the proceedings at Insein prison near the main city of Rangoon, and said she hoped to meet them in better days. An official at the Indonesian Embassy told VOA the democracy icon looked healthy and "unafraid."
She was later scheduled to meet privately with envoys from Thailand, Singapore and Russia.
A group of 10 reporters, split equally between foreign and local news agencies, were also given permission to attend Wednesday's proceedings by the junta.
The international community has condemned the Burmese government over Aung San Suu Kyi's arrest and trial, calling it an excuse to extend her house arrest, which expires later this month. She has been under detention for 13 of the last 19 years
The Association for Southeast Asian Nations has issued a rare criticism of Burma, expressing its "grave concern" over the trial, and warned that Burma's credibility is at stake. Burma is a member of the 10-nation bloc.
A group of Aung San Suu Kyi's fellow Nobel Peace laureates issued an open letter Wednesday calling for her release. The signatories, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa and Costa Rica's Oscar Araias, denounced the trial as a "mockery."
The trial of the pro-democracy leader comes ahead of next year's elections, which have been criticized as a sham to reinforce the military's grip on power.
John Yettaw, the American who swam to the opposition's house, is also on trial for breaking Burma's security and immigration laws.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
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