25-1-2024 (YANGON) In a development that has stirred controversy ahead of the third anniversary of her imprisonment by the military junta, the Supreme Court of Myanmar has issued a ruling ordering the sale of Aung San Suu Kyi’s residence in Yangon, according to local media reports.
The auction, scheduled for March 20, has set a floor price of US$90 million, as reported by The Irrawaddy, an independent news portal.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s home has long been a subject of dispute between the former state counsellor and her estranged brother. In its recent ruling, the court stated that the siblings must share the proceeds from the sale.
Despite the ruling, Aung San Suu Kyi’s legal team has been unable to consult with her regarding the decision, as she remains incarcerated.
The 78-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate was arrested on February 1, 2021, during the military coup and subsequently received a total prison sentence of 33 years on various charges, which her supporters argue were politically motivated.
However, her sentences were later reduced to a cumulative 27 years, and legal appeals are ongoing. In October of last year, the Supreme Court rejected appeals related to six convictions, but the status of other cases remains unknown.
According to local sources, Aung San Suu Kyi has spent most of her time in solitary confinement at Nay Pyi Taw Prison.
Former Thai foreign affairs minister Don Pramudwinai had the rare opportunity to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi in July of the previous year, making him the only foreign envoy known to have visited her since her detention.
The lakeside villa in Yangon holds significant historical significance as it was the place where Aung San Suu Kyi endured 15 years of house arrest under the previous military regime. The property has been at the center of a long-standing family dispute between the former leader and her elder brother. In 2000, while she was under house arrest, Aung San Oo filed a lawsuit claiming ownership of the house. The court initially dismissed his case, but he later pursued a new suit asserting joint ownership of the property. In 2016, a Yangon court ruled that Aung San Suu Kyi owned the two-storey building and half of the land, while her brother owned the other building and the remaining land.
In January 2019, Aung San Oo appealed to the Supreme Court, seeking the auction of the residence and a share of the proceeds. After years of legal proceedings under the control of the junta, the Supreme Court ultimately ruled in his favor on Thursday, leading to the forthcoming auction of the property.
