[JURIST] Military leaders in Myanmar on Saturday announced that Win Aung, Myanmar's former head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [official website], has been put before a special tribunal at the Insein jail [BBC backgrounder] to face charges of abusing his powers while he was in office. Aung held his position as foreign affairs minister until October 2004, when he was purged along with former Prime Minister Khin Nyunt [BBC profile], who military leaders forced from power after accusing him of bribery and corruption.

At one point Nyunt took a hard line against the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar, but eventually he became more reform-minded, at one point voicing his willingness to meet with the high profile activist Aung San Suu Kyi [BBC profile; JURIST news archive]. Nyunt received a 44 year suspended sentence [JURIST report] for his alleged abuses, and is currently under house arrest. Win Aung was a perceived ally to the former Prime Minister. AFP has more.