No bidders in court-ordered auction of house where Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi was detained for years

BANGKOK (AP) — No bidders appeared at a court-ordered auction Wednesday of the family home of Myanmar’s imprisoned former leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, where she had been held under house arrest for nearly 15 years, legal officials said.

Many in Myanmar view the house as a historical landmark of Suu Kyi’s nonviolent struggle against military rule for which she won the Nobel Peace Prize.

A court in January ordered the house and 1.9-acre (0.78-hectare) property in Yangon be sold with a minimum price of 315 billion kyats ($90 million), with the proceeds to be split between Suu Kyi and her estranged older brother. Suu Kyi’s lawyers had challenged the auction order.

The auction was held in front of the closed gates of the lakeside property, which has served as an unofficial party headquarters and a political shrine for the country’s pro-democracy movement. While living there, Suu Kyi hosted visiting dignitaries including U.S. President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Suu Kyi, 78, is serving a 27-year prison sentence in a series of cases brought by the military, which seized power from her elected government in February 2021. Her supporters and independent analysts say the cases are an attempt to discredit her and legitimize the military’s seizure of power.

“I want to announce that the auction is unsuccessful as there is no bidder,” a district court official who did not identify herself announced outside the gate. A man by her side struck a small gong, and a second man said: “The auction event has ended.”

A lawyer familiar with the legal proceedings, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release information, said the court will continue to