YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Police leveled their first formal charge against Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi, her allies said Wednesday, accusing her of possessing illegally imported walkie-talkies and giving the military authorities who staged a coup a legal reason to detain her for two weeks.
The charge came to light two days after she was placed under house arrest and appeared to be an effort to lend a legal veneer to her detention, though the generals have previously kept her and others locked up for years.
The military announced Monday that it would take power for one year — accusing Suu Kyi’s government of not investigating allegations of voter fraud in recent elections. Suu Kyi’s party swept that vote, and the military-backed party did poorly.
National League for Democracy spokesman Kyi Toe confirmed the charge against Suu Kyi that carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison. He also said the country’s ousted president, Win Myint, was charged with violating the natural disaster management law. A leaked charge sheet dated Feb. 1 indicates they can be held until Feb. 15.
