Myanmar’s imprisoned former leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been relocated from detention to house arrest as a precautionary health measure amid a heatwave, as declared by the military government. Additionally, over 3,000 prisoners were pardoned in observance of the traditional New Year holiday this week.
Suu Kyi, aged 78, and Win Myint, the 72-year-old former president of her deposed administration, were among the aged and ailing detainees moved out of correctional facilities due to the extreme temperatures, according to Maj. Gen. General Zaw Min Tun, the military spokesperson, who briefed foreign media representatives late Tuesday. However, this action has not been officially disclosed within Myanmar.
Suu Kyi’s relocation coincides with the army's series of significant setbacks in its conflict against pro-democracy insurgents and their supporters in ethnic minority rebel factions. This nationwide strife commenced following the military's ousting of the elected government in February 2021, subsequent imprisonment of
Suu Kyi, and initiation of crackdowns on peaceful protests advocating for a return to democratic governance.
Suu Kyi has been enduring a 27-year imprisonment term based on an array of criminal convictions, confined in a specially constructed section within the primary penitentiary located in the capital Naypyitaw. On Tuesday afternoon, Myanmar's meteorological bureau recorded temperatures soaring to 39 degrees Celsius (102.2 degrees Fahrenheit). Meanwhile, Win Myint was serving an eight-year sentence in Taungoo, situated in Myanmar's Bago region.
Suu Kyi's advocates and impartial analysts contend that the accusations leveled against her were concocted to tarnish her reputation and validate the military's power grab. The military alleged that her National League for Democracy Party engaged in extensive electoral fraud to secure a resounding victory in the 2020 general elections, a claim dismissed by independent observers.
As per the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an autonomous organization monitoring casualties and detentions, more than 20,351 individuals arrested on political grounds since the military takeover in 2021 remain incarcerated. The majority of them have yet to face formal criminal charges.
Reports suggest that Suu Kyi's health has declined during her time in confinement. Last September, there were accounts indicating that she was experiencing symptoms associated with low blood pressure, such as dizziness and loss of appetite. However, requests for treatment at reputable medical facilities outside the prison system were allegedly denied.
While these reports couldn't be independently verified, Suu Kyi's son, Kim Aris, residing in England, revealed in interviews that he had received information regarding his mother's severe illness. He mentioned her struggles with gum problems and inability to eat. Aris called for international pressure on Myanmar's military government to release his mother and other political detainees.
Information regarding Suu Kyi is tightly regulated by the military regime, and her legal representatives are under a gag order preventing them from discussing her cases with the media. Moreover, her legal team has encountered numerous obstacles, including the inability to meet with her for instructions since their last in-person encounter in December 2022.
The military did not disclose whether the recent transfer was intended to be temporary. In his statements to Voice of America, funded by the U.S. government, and the BBC of Britain, spokesperson Zaw Min Tun did not specify the destination for the released detainees. However, there were no indications that it might include any of Suu Kyi's former residences. The lakeside property where Suu Kyi spent much of her time under house arrest is currently in legal uncertainty following a failed auction in March as
ordered by the court.
Prior to her imprisonment, Suu Kyi was reportedly held in a military residence located within an army compound.
State-run MRTV television announced on Wednesday that other prisoners were released for the Thingyan New Year holiday, although it remained unclear whether those released included pro-democracy activists and political detainees held for protesting against military rule.
According to MRTV, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the ruling military council, pardoned 3,303 prisoners, including 28 foreigners who will be expelled from Myanmar. Additionally, he reduced sentences for some individuals. It's customary in Myanmar for mass amnesties to be granted during the holiday period.
Suu Kyi, the daughter of Myanmar's revered independence leader Gen. Aung San, endured nearly 15 years as a political captive under house arrest during the rule of previous military regimes from 1989 to 2010. Her steadfast resistance against military dictatorship transformed her into an emblem of the nonviolent struggle for democracy and earned her the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.
