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Burma’s Democracy Leader Aung San Suu Kyi
Court Trial on May 20, 2009

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News Update: Court Trial on Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

Location: Special Court at Insein Prison, Rangoon, Burma

Date: May 20, 2009

Court Time: 10:00 – 14:00 (Local Time)

At the 3rd day of the court trial, the Burmese junta opened the court to foreign diplomats
who might be surprised to the generals’ instant move. But it is the junta’s response just to
easing the mounting international pressure on them. Here is the detailed account for the
international community to observe the real motive of the ruling generals.

Detailed Situation of the Court Trial

• The court trial over Daw Aung San Suu Kyi started at 10 a.m. for the 3rd consecutive day.
The junta brought two plaintiffs to the court to testify their accounts on the case. One of
them is the person who confiscated the things that Mr. John W. Yettaw left at the
compound of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s house.

• Although the court started at 10 a.m. in the morning, the authorities allowed about 26
diplomats to enter into the court at between 13:30 p.m. and 14:00 p.m., when the court
process was going to end.

• Daw Aung San Suu Kyi didn’t know beforehand the fact that the diplomats were allowed
to come into the court. When U Kyi Win, her lawyer, suggested her to say greeting words
to the diplomats, she replied that she would be charged again with Section 22 of the State
Protection Law due to her conversation with the diplomats.

• Daw Aung San Suu Kyi asked her lawyer to seek permission from the authorities before
she greeted the diplomats. U Kyi Win asked the authorities at the court to allow Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi to talk to the diplomats. The authorities replied that they would inform
her request to their superiors, but she received no reply from the authorities.

• Finally, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi sought her lawyer’s legal advice on whether she could
greet the diplomats from distance. Her lawyer suggested that she could do it.

• Only then, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi greeted to the diplomats as follows: “I have been
seeking permission to see you. I hope to meet you in better days and thank you for
coming and for your support.”

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• In the afternoon, the Central Executive Committee of the NLD called an urgent meeting
and issued Statement No. 09/05/09 strongly protesting that the judicial system practicing
on the case of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is not in accordance with the laws and legal
procedures. The NLD again demanded a just and open public trial.

• Burmese junta also opened the court to some journalists to witness the court process.
They are five local correspondents working for foreign media and another five local
journalists for local journals and magazines. The authorities prohibited the journalists
from bringing cameras, recorders and mobile phones to the court.

The NLD members and supporters waiting outside Insein Prison, Rangoon 

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