Norwegian presence during the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi

The Burmese authorities have today allowed one representative of the Norwegian Embassy in Bangkok to be present at the final hearing in the trial of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

“Norway has repeatedly called for the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners. We have also asked for international observers to be allowed to be present at the trial. It is positive, in our view, that a representative of Norway has now been allowed to attend,” commented Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

The court will convene on Friday 24 July in Yangon, and the Norwegian Embassy in Bangkok will be represented by Counsellor Anne Lilleøren. The British Ambassador in Yangon has also been allowed to attend the hearing.

Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested in May, charged with violating the terms of her house arrest. The background for this was that a US citizen broke into her home and stayed overnight in the building where she was being held under house arrest. Aung San Suu Kyi has spent 13 of the past 19 years in jail or under house arrest.