MANDALAY, Myanmar (AP) – A Myanmar construction magnate with links to military rulers claims to have personally given more than half a million dollars in cash to ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a state television broadcast aimed at to discredit deposed civilian government.
The statement by Maung Waik could pave the way for more serious charges against Suu Kyi, who have been detained since the military takeover on February 1, while security forces increasingly use lethal force against a popular uprising demanding that democratically elected leaders be restored.
The military has already tried to involve Suu Kyi in corruption, claiming she was given $ 600,000 plus gold bars by a political ally. She and President Win Myint have so far been charged with inciting unrest, possession of walkie-talkies and violating a pandemic order restricting public gatherings.
Maung Waik, who had previously been convicted of drug trafficking, said in the latest allegation that he had given cash to government ministers to help his businesses. He said the money includes $ 100,000 given to Suu Kyi in 2018 for a charity named after her mother, $ 150,000 in 2019 for which he did not specify a reason, $ 50,000 in February and $ 250 000 in April, again without any purpose.
Meanwhile, a court in Myanmar has issued a warrant for the country’s UN ambassador, Kyaw Moe Tun, on charges of treason, the state newspaper Global New Light of Myanmar reported.
The charge stems from his remarks on February 26 at the United Nations in New York, in which he condemned the coup and called for ‘the strongest possible action of the international community’ to restore democracy in his country.
Mahn Win Khaing Than, the civilian leader of the Myanmar government who is hiding, has also been charged with treason, the newspaper said. The acting vice president and member of Suu Kyi’s political party spoke on Saturday for the first time since the coup when he promised to continue supporting a ‘revolution’ to overthrow the army.
On Thursday, residents of a suburb in Yangon set fire to street barriers to stop riot police.
On the video are large smoke poles that have sprung up over the Tha mining area in the city of Hlaing, with another barrier burning in the middle of a residential area. One resident, who did not want to be named for fear of retaliation, told The Associated Press that protesters set them on fire after hearing a column of police trucks were on their way.
The construction of barriers – and the occasional burning of them – is now a tactic by junta opponents across the country to obstruct the police and army movement. The barriers also provide cover for the use of live ammunition against them.
According to media and social media reports containing photos of the victims, at least two people were shot dead in Kalay in northwestern Myanmar on Wednesday. More than 200 people have been reported dead since the coup.
Pope Francis also called for the bloodshed.
In an apparent reference to widely circulated images of a nun in Myanmar kneeling in front of armed security forces and begging them not to shoot protesters, Francis said: ‘I also kneel in the streets of Myanmar and say: may stop violence. ”