TIMESONLINE: Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s democracy leader, is to stand trial on Monday at Rangoon’s notorious Insein prison in connection with a visit from a mysterious American last week, her party said last night.
A motorcade which included her car and several police vehicles left her lakeside home early this morning and drove to the prison.
“Her lawyer said the authorities will charge the lady and her two maids at the court in Insein prison,” said Nyan Win, spokesman for Ms Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party.
It was not clear what charges she faced but exile groups said she was likely to be charged under a cover-all public security law which is often used against political dissidents and could face a prison term of up to seven years.
Ms Suu Kyi., 63, has already spent more than 13 of the last 19 years — including the past six — in detention without trial for her non-violent promotion of democracy, despite international pressure for her release.
A trial could be used to justify another extension of her detention, which officially ends on May 27. The military junta has repeatedly found reasons to extend her periods of house arrest. >>> Anne Barrowclough | Thursday, May 14, 2009
