Myanmar's Military Junta Steps up Lawfare Against Suu Kyi

Myanmar's military junta has filed new legal action against the National League for Democracy (NLD) President Aung San Suu Kyi who is now accused of receiving bribes from the Say Paing Construction company.

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The former Foreign Affairs Minister, who has been under house arrest since the Feb. 1 coup, was "denounced" by Maung Weik, a millionaire businessman close to the military. 

In a statement broadcast Wednesday night on several military-controlled channels, the owner of Say Paing Construction claimed that he gave US$550,000 to Suu Kyi. This businessman, however, acknowledged that he had no witnesses to prove his claims. 

Following this television spectacle, the Information Ministry announced that the military junta had initiated an investigation to prosecute the Nobel Peace Prize laureate for corruption. 

In the past week, the military and its allies have accused Suu Kyi of receiving 11 kilos of gold and US$600,000 in bribes. She was also accused of illegally importing walkie-talkies, violating anti-COVID-19 laws, and publishing messages "inciting fear or alarm". 

Besides describing these accusations as hilarious pranks, her lawyers denounced they have not been able to communicate with her for weeks. 

Meanwhile, citizens continue to take to the streets in the main cities of the country. In the last few hours, local outlets reported the murder of Tun Htet Aung, a forestry official who died three days after being arrested for participating in the civil disobedience movement in Monywa. 

The Association for the Assistance of Political Prisoners (AAPP) reported that two other NLD members also died in detention. Pro-democracy activists claim that these deaths were caused by torture.