Myanmar’s Suu Kyi seeks less court time over ‘strained health’

Myanmar’s detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday asked a judge to reduce the frequency of her court hearings due to strained health, her lawyer said, but assured the public there was no concern about her condition.

Suu Kyi, who is on trial and attending court sessions in multiple cases since her overthrow in a Feb. 1 coup, requested hearings in each case be handled every two weeks, not every week, chief lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told media.

Asked by Reuters about the status of her health, he said Suu Kyi, 76, was suffering from tiredness from her busy schedule and there was no indication of illness.

“She is tired. At her age, it is not convenient to sit for hearings every day of the whole week,” Khin Maung Zaw said by phone.

“She doesn’t have any disease nor specified sickness. It is not a concerning situation. She is just tired.”

The health of the Nobel laureate is closely watched in Myanmar, where she spent many years in detention for challenging its military rulers.

She is charged with a litany of offences, including breaking coronavirus protocols, illegally importing and possessing two-way radios, incitement to cause public alarm and violating the Official Secrets Act.

The cases are being handled by courts in several cities and her allies fear the multiple legal cases, which they dismiss as nonsense, could tie her up in proceedings for years.

Suu Kyi has also been accused in court by a former politician of accepting big bribes and gold bars, allegations she on Monday told the court were “all absurd”, according to her lawyer.

Suu Kyi last month was unable to appear for one session in court, complaining of feeling dizzy and unwell, which her legal team dismissed as motion sickness.

Reuters