Myanmar’s Suu Kyi dizzy and drowsy, skips court appearance

Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi attends the joint news conference of the Japan-Mekong Summit Meeting at the Akasaka Palace State Guest House in Tokyo, Japan October 9, 2018. REUTERS FILE PHOTO

Deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi
was unable to appear at a court hearing on Monday for health
reasons, a member of her legal team said, describing her
condition as dizziness caused by motion sickness.

Suu Kyi, 76, who has been detained on various charges since
her overthrow in a Feb. 1 military coup, did not have the
coronavirus but felt ill having not traveled in a vehicle for a
long time, lawyer Min Min Soe said.

The popular Nobel Peace Prize winner has spent about half of
the past three decades in various forms of detention over her
non-violent struggle against dictatorship and her health is
closely watched.

“It is not serious sickness… She suffered car sickness.
She cannot stand that feeling and told us she wanted to take a
rest,” Min Min Soe told Reuters.

Suu Kyi’s only communication with the outside world has been
through her legal team, which says its access to her is limited
and monitored by authorities.

She is on trial in the capital Naypyitaw over charges that
include illegal importation and possession of walkie-talkie
radios and violating coronavirus protocols.

She has been accused of accepting big bribes, and has been
charged with unspecified breaches of the Official Secrets Act in
a separate and more serious case, which is punishable by up to
14 years in jail.

Her lawyers reject all of the allegations.

Khin Maung Zaw, who heads her legal team, said Suu Kyi could
not take the stand on Monday and the judge consented to her
absence.

“She seemed to be ill, sneezing and said she was drowsy.
Therefore the lawyers talked only briefly with her,” he said in
a text message.