Aung San Suu Kyi sentenced to four-year jail term by Myanmar court

New Delhi: A Myanmar court on Monday (December 6, 2021) jailed Aung San Suu Kyi for four years. The ousted civilian leader has been sentenced to a four-year jail term for inciting dissent against the military and breaching COVID-19 rules.

Supporters of Suu Kyi, however, have been saying that the cases are baseless and designed to end her political career and tie her up in legal proceedings while the military consolidates power.

The 76-year old was also facing a dozen cases that include multiple corruption charges plus violations of a state secrets act and a telecoms law. 

This is noteworthy that Myanmar has been in turmoil since the February 1 coup and has been paralysed by protests and instability that escalated after the junta's deadly crackdown on its opponents, which it called "terrorists".

The international community has condemned the violence and Western states had demanded Suu Kyi's release.

Earlier on Sunday morning, five people were killed and at least 15 arrested after Myanmar security forces in a car rammed into an anti-coup protest in Yangon. Another protest was held in Yangon in the afternoon despite the morning violence.

Anti-military protests have so far reportedly killed more than 1,300 people since the February 1 coup.

(With agency inputs)