The verdict for Aung Sun Suu Kyi is expected again tomorrow in Burma, after a delay of almost two weeks that I last wrote about here. After the last delay on July 31, Larry Jagan, a journalist/activist/Burmese specialist, said he expected a verdict on August 11, but reports yesterday that John Yettaw, the American who crashed her residence uninvited, remains in the hospital make should give Burma an excuse to delay the verdict and sentencing again if that’s what they’re looking for.
As with any legal decision in Burma, I keep being reminded by pundits, the outcome is always a political one, legal niceties need not be observed. If the verdict is announced, expect an AP report around 11 PM Eastern Standard time on Monday. However, there’s no precedence for how long the court will wait before announcing, the entire case could be reread, and the verdict given hours later.
The other story in the news tomorrow is the extradition hearing for Viktor Bout, a Russian national arrested in Thailand last year in a US-led sting operation almost a year ago on charges of international weapons smuggling.
His last extradition hearing in March 2009 was delayed, but a decision is expected tomorrow, with the assumption that Bout will appeal any decision to extradite him to the United States. Russia strongly wants him released, and Russian Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov made a trip to Bangkok on the way back from July’s Asean forum to meet with the Thai foreign minister, confirming in a press conference that Bout was a subject of discussion. Lavrov also had a private audience with Thailand’s King Bhumibol, but when I asked him whether Bout would be discussed at that meeting, he told me that he questioned the logic of implying that the only reason to meet a revered royal figure would be to discuss a criminal matter. After hearing the question leave my mouth, I sort of agreed.
Look for word on that decision sometime in the early morning Eastern Standard time.
I am being sent to Taipei for the next few days, helping with coverage of the aftermath of Typhoon Morakot, and so will miss all the press conferences tomorrow. I will try to post footage of Taiwan if it’s not being used in news reports.