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Former Myanmar Prime Minister Khin Nyunt, who was ousted and placed under house arrest in October 2004 on charges of corruption, could soon go to trial. The Southeast Asian news magazine Irrawaddy, citing a Yangon-based lawyer, reports that the Supreme Court began preparations for the trial June 13, though the actual trial date has not been set. The government is keeping information on the politically sensitive case under tight wraps.
The trial presents a challenge for the Peace and Development Council (SPDC), Myanmar's military government. On the one hand, trying a former member of the ruling elite sets a precedent for other such trials in the future. On the other hand, the increased pressure from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for reforms of the Myanmar regime -- in order to avoid damages to ASEAN relations with the European Union and the United States -- demands swift action from the government. That, however, requires a unified regime.
The SPDC is in the midst of a massive purge related to Khin Nyunt's detention, and already has tried numerous individuals, including several high-ranking military intelligence officials who were detained among 300-odd associates of Khin Nyunt in an alleged anti-smuggling operation. Most of those arrested belonged to the powerful military intelligence establishment that the former prime minister headed.
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