Burma’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi today took the witness stand at her show trial to defend herself against what are widely seen as trumped up charges.
Ms Suu Kyi told the Rangoon court she did not think she was breaking the terms of her long-running house arrest when she allowed a surprise American visitor to stay with her earlier this month.
Appearing frail and pale but managing an occasional smile, Ms Suu Kyi was questioned for less than half an hour about John Yettaw, who swam uninvited to her lakeside house.
The 63-year-old Nobel Peace laureate faces a possible prison term of up to five years in a trial that has brought worldwide outrage.
The charges against her are widely considered a sham to keep her detained ahead of elections the military government has planned for next year. A guilty verdict is seen as a formality.
Burma’s courts operate under the influence of the ruling military, and almost always deal harshly with political dissidents.
Reporters and diplomats were allowed into the courtroom for today’s session, the second time during the trial that such rare access has been granted.
“Thank you for your concern and support. It is always good to see people from the outside world,” she told reporters and diplomats before being escorted out of the court by four policewomen.
“Given her ordeal, she is in reasonably good shape,” said British Ambassador Mark Canning, who met her last week.
Her latest round of house arrest — extended every year since 2003 — was supposed to end this week, and a top police official said that the government had considered releasing her on “humanitarian grounds.”
Ms Suu Kyi has been charged with violating conditions of her house arrest by sheltering Yettaw, 53, at her home for two days, communicating with him and giving him food.
Her lawyers have said she did not invite him and asked him to leave, but allowed him to stay when he said he was too ill to leave immediately.
Ms Suu Kyi told the judge that Yettaw arrived at her home around 5am on May 4th. One of her companions told her about his arrival.
When asked if she reported his presence to the authorities, she said, “No, I did not.” She said she spoke to Yettaw and gave him “temporary shelter,” and he left just before midnight May 5th.
Ms Suu Kyi does not contest the facts of the case. She earlier told her lawyers she did not report Yettaw because she did not want him or security personnel in charge of her house to get into trouble.
She told her lawyers the incident occurred because of a security breach — the house is tightly guarded — so the responsibility for allowing Yettaw in lies with the security forces.
AP