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Sun, 19 Jan 2025 Article

Suu Kyi’s 19 Years of Detention

By Nava Thakuria, North East India
Suu Kyi’s 19 Years of Detention

Pro-democracy crusader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar (also known as Burma and Brahmadesh) recently completed a total of 19 years of detention under the military rulers. National League for Democracy chief, who was ousted by the military dictators through a coup on 1 February 2021 even though her party NLD won the last national elections in the southeast Asian country, Suu Kyi remains under imprisonment and house arrest since 1989. The daughter of Burma’s freedom movement hero General Aung San is currently pursuing her fourth term detention. Suu Kyi was last detained during the coup, engineered by military dictator Min Aung Hlaing, as the winning NLD lawmakers prepared for taking charge of the federal government in Naypyitaw. The Oxford educated lady is currently under solitary confinement somewhere in Yangon (formerly Rangoon). She was first arrested as a democracy activist in 1995 by the then military rulers and later detained as a lawmaker in 2012. Even after becoming the country’s State Counselor (de-facto President of Myanmar) she was not spared in 2016. Various military influenced courts of Myanmar have sentenced Suu Kyi for more than 25 years in prison following a number of fictitious charges. Suu Kyi remains one of 21,000 political prisoners currently under detention in the military dominated country.

The people of Myanmar irrespective of their ethnicity or creeds have however continue reposing faith on the lady, who is attaining 80 years on 19 June, and hence the NLD has been winning every election since 1990. The NLD and its allies won a landslide victory in the 2020 general elections, but they were forbidden by the military junta. On the other hand, the Burmese military personnel have never won a significant mandate and on a clear note they have no legitimacy to rule the country. Currently the Buddhist majority nation is witnessing a full scale civil war where a number of ethnic armed outfits along with common people taking arms on their hands have been waging a war against the military junta. Even though Myanmar is still under military rule, the dictators start losing their influence and authorities. During the last four years, over 6000 civilians were killed and 27,000 arrested by the junta soldiers. The relentless airstrikes on populated areas, setting many villages and urban localities on fire across the country of 55 million people became the order of the day. More than 3.5 million people were displaced and they are now facing an acute crisis of food and medical supplies. In some parts, the relief materials are prevented from transporting and distributing which are meant for older people, women and children. Despite the junta’s escalating brutality, the Myanmarese remain resolute in their fight for a federal democracy. In contrast, the junta left demoralized after rapidly losing its control over the country. Latest reports indicate that the junta now controls only 32% of Myanmar townships, where 24% slips into full conflict zones and 44% have gone under the control of revolutionary forces, ethnic resistance organizations and people’s defense forces.

The revolutionary forces under the banner of Three Brotherhood Alliance (comprising the Arakan Army, Ta’ang National Liberation Army and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army) launched a massive offensive (titled Operation 1027) in late 2023 and till date they have brought under control the important routes connecting the border towns with Bangladesh, India, Thailand and China. The AA fighters have captured 14 out of 17 Arakanese townships in western Myanmar along with a large number of military bases including the junta’s strategic Western Command headquarters in Ann locality. Following the intervention of China, the TNLA and MNDAA announced the ceasefire, but their revolutionaries had already seized over 15 townships in northern Shan State and Mandalay region. Facing the heat, the junta declared its intention to conduct national elections and the Union Election Commission started preliminary preparations with a countrywide census. However, the electoral process in the land of Golden Pagodas remains doubtful since its independence as the armed forces often dictate terms to the political leadership with the advantage of the military-drafted 2008 Constitution.

Can we hope for better days for Myanmar and its people in the coming days!

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