High Court accepts request to reinstate witnesses

by Mungpi
Wednesday, 17 June 2009 20:22

New Delhi (Mizzima news) - Burma’s High Court on Wednesday admitted the request of Aung San Suu Kyi’s legal counsels to reinstate defence witnesses, who were earlier disqualified by a lower court in Insein prison.

Nyan Win, member of Aung San Suu Kyi’s legal team said they had submitted their arguments to the High Court for revision of a decision by the lower district court that disqualified two defence witnesses.

“The High Court said, they have admitted the case. So, the decision of the district court will be under revision,” Nyan Win said.

Nyan Win, said they were able to present their arguments in the High Court on Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. (local time) and the High Court at about 2 p.m. (noon). It has admitted as a case for revision.

He added that the court will put up a notice on the Court’s notice board for the date of hearing of the arguments from both lawyers before it can reach a final decision on whether to reinstate the witnesses.

Earlier, on the request of the defence team, the Rangoon divisional court allowed another defence witness – Khin Moh Moh – to testify in the district court but rejected two other witnesses – Win Tin, veteran journalist and central executive committee member of the NLD and Tin Oo, vice chairman of the NLD, who is also currently under house arrest.

The district court in Insein prison on June 12 fixed the hearing of defence witness Khin Moh Moh for June 26. But Nyan Win said, “The court dates will change as per the decision made by the high court and if the high court fails to reach any decision, it will be further postponed.”

Win Tin, one of the witnesses submitted by the defence team, earlier told Mizzima that the case is likely to be prolonged further, even up to July or August, as the junta wants to ease mounting international pressure and the increasing unrest in the country.

Aung San Suu Kyi, her two live-in party mates and the American citizen John Willam Yettaw are facing a trial in the special court inside Insein prison, where the Nobel Peace Laureate is currently being detained.

The Burmese pro-democracy leader,charged for flouting her detention law for allowing the American man to visit her at her lakeside home, could face up to five years of detention, if found guilty.