A court ruled by military in Myanmar convicted the Country’s former leader Aung San Suu Kyi of corruption and sentenced her to five years in prison today in the first of several corruption cases against her. Myanmar has delved deeper into the military coup power. The military coup framed Suu Kyi for being a radicalistic in her political views.
Her violent struggle for democracy earned her the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize. However, she remained silent over the military’s brutal persecution of the Rohingya people after she became the country’s leader in 2016. Which led to call for revoking her award. Her party also won a majority in the 2020 poll before the military launched a coup.
The wide spread protest against the sentencing of Suu Kyi. Also the verdict was condemned by the rightist groups as well as the US, UN and the EU. Many people have been killed by the military coup due to which Suu Kyi and other elected officials of the previous government were on street protesting.
Suu Kyi has emerged as the symbol of politically repressed due to her stance against the military coup. But the people’s movement of Myanmar has spread beyond just the leadership of one women and one party. Junta continues to face widespread opposition, including peaceful protest movements and an armed resistance. The economy has also failed severely with the collapse of healthcare system and education system.
Suu Kyi’s sentencing rigorously makes us see the reality like a mirror reflecting the truth. Her sentencing is the symbol of oppression, repression and violence on the people’s movement. Just like Satyajit Ray through his lens showed how the oppressor, oppresses people through “brainwashing”. Same is the Suu Kyi’s sentencing is the brainwashing of people with all the wrong allegations and courtroom circus.