Unwell Suu Kyi skips Myanmar trial hearing

Yangon: Ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi skipped the resumption of her coronavirus-delayed trial in a junta court because she felt ill, her lawyer said on Monday.

Suu Kyi was deposed by the military in a February coup that sparked a mass uprising. The junta launched a brutal crackdown to suppress opposition, and its forces have killed more than 1,000 civilians since, according to a local monitoring group.

Cut off from the world except for brief meetings with her legal team and court appearances, the 76-year-old Suu Kyi faces a raft of charges that could see her jailed for more than a decade.

Her trial on charges she violated coronavirus restrictions during elections her party won last year, and for illegally importing walkie-talkies, was due to resume Monday after a two-month pause.

But Suu Kyi returned home after a pre-hearing meeting with her legal team as she had "car sickness", her lawyer Min Min Soe told AFP. "She hasn’t gone anywhere by car in the last two months. That’s why she felt car sickness today... She said she needs to go back home to take a proper rest."