Suu Kyi Allowed Brief Meeting with Lawyers

30 October 2009: Burmese authorities on Thursday allowed two defense lawyers to meet with detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Lead defense lawyers U Kyi Win and Nyan Win visited detained Aung San Suu Kyi at her lakeside home on University Ave in Rangoon for two hours on Thursday in what was described by Burmese authorities as ‘granting her’ an opportunity to prepare her appeal to the Supreme Court with her defense team.

Suu Kyi’s appeal against her conviction to an 18-month under house arrest was earlier rejected by the Rangoon Divisional Court. She was criminally found guilty by a Rangoon court of illegally harboring an American intruder who swam across a lake to Suu Kyi’s house earlier this year.

Suu Kyi’s impending appeal to the Supreme Court stands as the last hope to have her conviction overturned. But the judicial system in Burma is dominated by the military regime.

Earlier this month Suu Kyi was allowed to meet with Western diplomats on two separate occasions. Burmese Prime Minister General Thein Sein said the meetings were in exchange for a ‘softening stance’ by Suu Kyi regarding western sanctions on Burma.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been supporting western economic sanctions against military-ruled Burma. However, Suu Kyi has indicated early this month that she was willing to work with the ruling military regime on getting the sanctions lifted.