Detained Myanmar president, state counsellor sentenced to 4 years prison

Detained Myanmar President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi were sentenced to four years in prison on Monday, media reported citing Major General Zaw Min Tun, head of the information team under the State Administration Council.

According to Xinhua news agency, U Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi were convicted of charges with incitement under Section 505 (b) Penal Code and with breaching Natural Disaster Management Law.

After they were detained on February 1 along with other officials from the National League for Democracy (NLD), the state power of Myanmar was transferred to Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing after the declaration of a state of emergency.

Xinhua reported that since her detainment, Aung San Suu Kyi had been accused of 11 offences, such as violating the Official Secrets Act, among others, while U Win Myint was under two charges of incitement and breaching Natural Disaster Management Law.

Trials over more charges against Aung San Suu Kyi were to follow. The military has alleged massive voting fraud in the country's November 2020 general elections, which saw the NLD win a majority of seats in both houses of parliament, Xinhua reported.

The NLD party won an absolute majority of parliamentary seats in the general elections on November 8, 2015 and had been running the government since 2016. The five-year term of the NLD government was expected to end in March 2021.

( With inputs from ANI )