The charge laid against Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, who served a total of 15 years in house arrest before the generals released her in 2010, echoed previous accusations of esoteric legal crimes. In one case, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi had her lockup extended because an American man swam up to her lakeside villa unannounced, causing her to violate the terms of her confinement.
But if such crimes seem absurd, they carry real consequences. The military had made a habit of sidelining political rivals and critics by burdening them with arcane offenses.
Along with Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint, one of her political acolytes who was also detained on Monday, was issued a detention order for violating emergency coronavirus regulations. He was accused of greeting a car full of supporters during the electoral campaign season last year, according to U Kyi Toe, the official for the National League for Democracy.
If found guilty, Mr. Win Myint could face three years in prison. Holding a criminal record could preclude him from returning to the presidency.
On Tuesday, the United Nations Security Council, which had convened an emergency private meeting on Myanmar, declined to issue a statement condemning the coup; China and Russia opposed such a move.
In Washington, the State Department said that it had concluded the military’s takeover was, indeed, a coup d’état, a label that will affect some American foreign aid to the country.
Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/03/world/asia/myanmar-coup-aung-san-suu-kyi.html
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