The United States Monday slammed a jail sentence imposed on Myanmar’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the repression of other elected figures as “affronts to democracy and justice.”
“We urge the regime to release Aung San Suu Kyi and all those unjustly detained, including other democratically elected officials,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
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Suu Kyi, 76, has been detained since Myanmar’s generals staged a coup and ousted her government on February 1, ending the Southeast Asian country’s brief period of democracy.
Myanmar’s junta chief sentenced Suu Kyi to two years in prison on Monday — after initially doling out four years — for incitement against the military and breaching COVID-19 rules.
“The regime’s continued disregard for the rule of law and its widespread use of violence against the Burmese people underscore the urgency of restoring Burma’s path to democracy,” Blinken warned, using a former name for Myanmar.
The US top diplomat called on the Myanmar junta to “end the use of violence, respect the will of the people, and restore Burma’s democratic transition.”
Read more: Myanmar’s ousted leader Suu Kyi gets four-year jail term in trial: Source
