FREEDOM NOW

533 5th Street, NE • Washington, D.C. 20002 • (202) 320-4135 • jgenser@freedom-now.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jared Genser

May 18, 2009 +1 (202) 320-4135

FREEDOM NOW CALLS ON INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO

CONDEMN SHAM TRIAL OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI

Washington, D.C. – This morning in Rangoon, the Burmese junta commences its
closed trial of Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on charges of
Honorary Co–Chairs having violated the terms of her house arrest. She has spent some 14 of the last
The Honorable 19 years under house arrest and on five occasions the UN Working Group on
Václav Havel
Arbitrary Detention found that her detention was in contravention of international
The Most Reverend law and in the most recent decision in violation of Burmese law as well.
Desmond M. Tutu

Board of Directors This pretextual charge comes, not coincidentally, as Ms. Suu Kyi house arrest
President was about to expire on May 27, 2009. Also on trial are Khin Khin Win and Win
Jared Genser
Ma Ma, the women who live with Ms. Suu Kyi. According to the complaint
Chair letter, the junta has 22 witnesses it intends to call at the trial, which is expected to
Jeremy Zucker
last at least several days and perhaps as long as six weeks.
Treasurer
Daniel Silverberg
Even prior to the commencement of the trial, it is clear there are deep substantive
Secretary
Haylie Iseman
and procedural flaws which will render any verdict patently invalid.
Hillary Coyne Brill
Glenn Kaminsky
Substantively, Ms. Suu Kyi and her colleagues are being charged with violating
Micheline Mendelsohn the terms of her house arrest by inviting American John Yettaw to her home. Yet
Board of Advisors
it is the junta alone failed in its exclusive responsibility to provide security at her
Prof. Karima Bennoune home that enabled the break-in. The three women never invited him to visit.
Rutgers University
School of Law (Newark)
Procedurally, the Burmese junta has already committed numerous violations of
Prof. Jerome A. Cohen
New York University due process:
Law School

Hon. Irwin Cotler MP
Parliament of Canada
Harry C. McPherson
DLA Piper LLP (US)
Nuala Mole
AIRE Centre
Prof. A.W. Brian Simpson
Michigan Law School
Prof. Christopher
McCrudden
Oxford University
• It has denied Ms. Suu Kyi counsel of her choosing by revoking the law
licenses of her counsels U Aung Thein and U Khin Maung Shein.
• It intends to have a closed trial; two former chairmen of the Bar Council of
the United Kingdom and another barrister, all with the Burma Justice
Committee, were denied visas and permission to observe the trial.
• It has failed to provide Ms. Suu Kyi and her remaining lawyer U Kyi Win
adequate time to prepare a defense, allowing only three days between the
time she was charged and the beginning of the trial.
• The judges in the case are neither independent from the junta nor impartial.

Jared Genser, lead international counsel for Ms. Suu Kyi noted “Given the junta’s
Executive Director
record to date, it is highly doubtful justice will be served. So the real question is
Maran Turner
how the world will react. Will it do more than simply condemn the junta’s
actions?”

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