Suu Kyi testifies in show trial over sheltering man during house arrest

BURMA’s pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, yesterday took the witness stand at her show trial to defend herself against what are widely seen as trumped-up charges.

Suu Kyi told the Rangoon court she did not think she was breaking the terms of her long-running house arrest when she allowed a surprise American visitor to stay with her earlier this month.

Appearing frail and pale, but managing an occasional smile, Suu Kyi was questioned for less than half an hour about John Yettaw, who swam uninvited to her lakeside house.

The 63-year-old Nobel Peace laureate faces a possible prison term of up to five years in a trial that has brought worldwide outrage.

The charges against her are widely considered a sham to keep her detained ahead of elections the military government has planned for next year.

A guilty verdict is seen as a formality.

Reporters and diplomats were allowed into the courtroom for yesterday’s session, the second time during the trial that such rare access has been granted.

“Thank you for your concern and support. It is always good to see people from the outside world,” she told reporters and diplomats before being escorted out of court by four policewomen.

Her latest round of house arrest – extended every year since 2003 – was supposed to end this week.

Suu Kyi has been charged with violating conditions of her house arrest by sheltering Yettaw, 53, at her home for two days, communicating with him and giving him food. Her lawyers have said she did not invite him and asked him to leave, but allowed him to stay when he said he was too ill to leave immediately.

Suu Kyi told the judge that Yettaw arrived at her home at about 5am on May 4. One of her companions told her about his arrival.

When asked if she reported his presence to the authorities, she said: “No, I did not.”

She said she spoke to Yettaw and gave him “temporary shelter” and he left just before midnight on May 5.

Suu Kyi does not contest the facts of the case.

She earlier told her lawyers she did not report Yettaw because she did not want him or security personnel in charge of her house to get into trouble.

She told her lawyers the incident occurred because of a security breach – the house is tightly guarded – so the responsibility for allowing Yettaw in lies with the security forces.