Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi gets 3 years’ jail for election fraud
Al JazeeraMAY 2022
Suu Kyi and Turnell are among many who've been detained not by an objective rule of law but by clear political motivation to repress any opposition to the Myanmar coup. Although the judiciary is said to be independent, corruption is a deep-rooted problem and everyone within the justice system has a military background.
Turnell and the four other co-defendants have been prosecuted following Myanmar's rule of law. He attempted to run away from the country carrying secret economic data. This ruling has nothing to do with nationality or political affiliations, but with their actions as cabinet members.
Having issued no new sanctions to Myanmar since the coup, Australia is lagging behind the firm stance of its Western allies. "Soft diplomacy" has failed to ensure Turnell's release, and the country must now use targeted sanctions to provide leverage and act against the countless human rights violations.