India disturbed at the verdicts against Suu Kyi and others in Myanmar

India has said that it is disturbed at the recent verdicts against the former State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and others by a Myanmar court. Responding to a query about the proceedings against Aung San Suu Kyi and others, the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said that as a neighbouring democracy, India has been consistently supportive of the democratic transition in Myanmar. He said that India believes in upholding the  rule of law and the democratic process. Any development that undermines these processes and accentuates differences is a matter of deep concern. The spokesperson expressed sincere hope that  efforts would be made by all sides to advance the path of dialogue keeping in mind the nation’s future.
On Monday, a Myanmar court had sentenced the deposed State Counsellor of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi and former President Win Myint to four years in jail on charges of inciting violence against the military and breaking the natural disaster laws of the country. The sentence was later reduced to 2 years by the military government to be carried out at the current place of their detention under house arrest. Aung San Suu Kyi is facing charges of violating the official secrets act, corruption and electoral fraud. On conviction under these charges she may face a very long sentence running into several years. A senior Myanmar military government official told the media on Tuesday that the imprisonment of Aung San Suu Kyi showed that no one is above the law, reports Reuters. The official said that preparations for holding elections before 2023 were underway but he did not confirm if Suu Kyi’s party National League for Democracy (NLD) would be allowed to participate in the elections or not.