Deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi was unable to appear at a court hearing on Monday for health reasons, mainly dizziness and drowsiness.

A member of her legal team had reported describing her condition as dizziness caused by motion sickness.

Her lawyer, Min Min Soe, said Ms Suu Kyi, 76, did not have the COVID-19 but felt ill, having not travelled in a vehicle for a long time.

“It is not serious sickness… She suffered car sickness. She cannot stand that feeling and told us she wanted to take a rest,’’ Mr Min told Reuters.

Ms Suu Kyi has been detained on various charges since her overthrow in a February 1 military coup.

The popular Nobel Peace Prize winner has spent about half of the past three decades in various forms of detention over her non-violent struggle against dictatorship, and her health is closely watched.

Ms Suu Kyi’s only communication with the outside world has been through her legal team, which says its access to her is limited and monitored by authorities.

She is on trial in the capital Naypyitaw over charges that include illegal importation and possession of walkie-talkie radios and violating coronavirus protocols.

She has been accused of accepting big bribes and has been charged with unspecified breaches of the Official Secrets Act in a separate and more serious case, which is punishable by up to 14 years in jail.

Her lawyers had rejected all of the allegations.

Khin Maung Zaw, who heads her legal team, said Ms Suu Kyi could not take the stand on Monday, and the judge consented to her absence.

(Reuters/NAN)