BRUSSELS, Dec 6, 2021 (BSS/AFP) - The European Union on Monday condemned the
Myanmar ruling junta's jailing of ousted leader Aug San Suu Kyi as
"politically motivated" and a "blatant violation of human rights".
In a statement from EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on behalf of the
27 member states, the EU said Suu Kyi's sentence "represents another step
towards the dismantling of the rule of law".
Suu Kyi, 76, has been detained since the generals staged a coup and ousted
her government on February 1, ending the Southeast Asian country's brief
period of democracy.
She has since been hit with a series of charges, including violating the
official secrets act, corruption and electoral fraud, and she faces decades
in jail if convicted on all counts.
On Monday, the 1991 Nobel peace prize laureate was sentenced to two years
for incitement against the military and another two years for breaching Covid
restrictions.
Former president Win Myint was also sentenced to four years on the same
charges.
"The European Union strongly condemns this politically motivated verdict,
which constitutes another major setback for democracy in Myanmar since the
military coup on 1 February 2021," Borrell said.
"The military's actions show complete contempt for the will of the people,
expressed clearly in the November 2020 elections," he said.
"It is imperative that the Myanmar military authorities allow a swift
return of Myanmar to the path of democracy," he added, praising the the
people of Myanmar for rejecting the coup.