NAYPYIDAW: A court in military-run Myanmar has put up for auction the villa where former leader and democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi spent fifteen years under house arrest, and set starting bids at 315 billion kyats (90 million dollars).
Aung San Suu Kyi, back in detention since the military toppled her government in 2021, has been embroiled in a decades-long legal dispute with her brother over ownership of the lakeside villa.
A person with knowledge of the proceedings said the court-ordered auction would be held at the house on 20 March, according to media reports.
The Nobel laureate was detained at the decrepit, colonial-style residence on Yangon’s Inya Lake until 2012, when she shifted to the capital Naypyitaw to attend parliament after her release.
She delivered impassioned speeches to crowds of supporters over the metal gates of the house and it has been the site of some of her most important meetings, including with former US President Barack Obama and secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
Aung Suu Kyi’s legal dispute with brother
The 78-year-old’s estranged brother, Aung San Oo first sued in 2000 for a share of the house, which is registered under the name of their mother, Khin Kyi.
The court ruled the siblings must share the proceeds from any sale of the property.
Suu Kyi remains in detention, though her whereabouts are unknown. She faces twenty-seven years in jail convictions for crimes ranging from treason and bribery to violations of the telecommunications law, allegations she denies.
