Feb 3, 2021 - World

Aung San Suu Kyi charged after Myanmar coup

Oriana González

Picture of a young man in a protest in Myanmar holding a poster of Aung San Suu Kyi — Photo: Andre Malerba/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Authorities in Myanmar on Wednesday filed charges against civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi for illegally importing and using walkie-talkies found in her home, just days after she was detained by the military.

Driving the news: The Biden administration has designated the seizure of power a "coup," opening the door to sanctions and a broader review of U.S. assistance programs to the Southeast Asian country, which was under military rule before becoming a civilian-led democracy in 2011.

The state of play: Few details have been made public about Suu Kyi's status since the military seized power on Monday and claimed, without evidence, that the country's November elections were fraudulent. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy had won in an apparent landslide.

Suu Kyi, who faces up to three years in prison if convicted, will remain in police custody until Feb. 15 and is allegedly being held in her home, per BBC.
Former President Win Myint also faces charges for having public gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic, BBC notes.
Suu Kyi has told supporters to resist the military. Protests have sprung up throughout Myanmar and neighboring Asian countries since Monday.

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Aung San Suu Kyi charged after Myanmar coup

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