Aung San Suu Kyi

Win Myint, the ousted president of Myanmar, has also been jailed for four years. Suu Kyi is facing a total of 11 charges and according to BBC, she could be jailed for life. Suu Kyi has been under house arrest at an undisclosed location after her National League for Democracy (NLD) government was toppled by the Myanmar Army in February this year.

President Win Myint, who was also taken into custody in the wake of the military takeover, had made the same demand, according to Min Min Soe, a lawyer on Suu Kyi's defence team.

Signalling it is undeterred by global criticism and an UN call for restraint, the military junta also stepped up the ante by formally levelling allegations of bribery against deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Six people were killed in the central town of Myaing on Thursday when security forces fired on a protest rally.

The allegation is the strongest yet levelled by the military since it overthrew Suu Kyi and the country's democratic leadership on 1 February, the BBC reported. No evidence was provided for the charge. Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun also accused President Win Myint and several cabinet ministers of corruption.

Joe Biden called on the Myanmar military to immediately release detainees, including President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. A one-year state of emergency was declared in Myanmar after U Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi were detained by the military on February 1.