Suu Kyi 'looks healthy', lawyer says

[YANGON] Myanmar's deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi appeared in good health in a video meeting on Wednesday, one of her lawyers said, as the United States ordered its non-essential embassy staff to leave after weeks of violence over a Feb 1 coup.

The detained Nobel laureate, who has been held in custody since the military seized power, had wanted to meet lawyers in person and did not agree to a wide discussion by video in the presence of police, lawyer Min Min Soe told Reuters by telephone.

"Amay looks healthy, her complexion is good," Mr Min Min Soe said, using an affectionate term meaning "mother" to refer to Ms Suu Kyi.

Only the legal cases against her filed since the coup were discussed during the video conference, the lawyer said.

Ms Suu Kyi, 75, was arrested the same day the military seized power and faces charges that include illegally importing six handheld radios and breaching coronavirus protocols.

The military has also accused her of bribery in two recent news conferences.

Her lawyers say the charges were trumped up and dismissed the accusation of bribery as a joke.

The next hearing in her case is on Thursday.

At least 521 civilians have been killed in protests, 141 of them on Saturday, the bloodiest day of the unrest, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).

Fighting has also flared between the army and ethnic minority insurgents in frontier regions. Refugees fleeing the turmoil are seeking safety in neighbouring countries.

Thousands of protesters were out again on Wednesday in different parts of the country.

Residents in the main city of Yangon banged pots and pans and honked their car horns in a clamour of defiance as a news crew from CNN was shown around in what its correspondent said was a heavily armed convoy.

The Mizzima news portal reported a gun battle between security forces and civilians near the northwestern town of Kale. There was no word on casualties and Reuters could not verify the report.

There is growing international concern about prospects for the country with no sign of a path out of the crisis. The junta has not taken up offers from its Southeast Asian neighbours to help find a solution.

The United States on Tuesday ordered the departure of non-emergency US government employees and their family members due to concerns over civil unrest.

REUTERS