Thet Thet Khine, the chairperson of the pro-regime People’s Pioneer Party (PPP), told the media at a press conference in Yangon Region on Wednesday that jailed State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint from the National League for Democracy (NLD)–ousted from government during the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021–are “not political prisoners.”
“They didn’t face political charges but corruption ones,” said Thet Thet Khine, who served as an NLD lawmaker in the Pyithu Hluttaw, or the lower house of parliament, from 2016-2021. The jewelry magnate left the NLD after being suspended from the party for criticizing Aung San Suu Kyi in September 2018.
She then founded the PPP in 2019 and ran in the 2020 general elections, but her party won no seats in parliament. The NLD won a resounding victory in 2020, but was replaced with a military regime led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing after the 2021 coup.
A regime-controlled court in Naypyidaw convicted Aung San Suu Kyi of receiving bribes from the former Chief Minister of Yangon Region Phyo Min Thein without providing any evidence in April 2022. Win Myint was also convicted of corruption in December 2022.
Aung San Suu Kyi, 80, is serving a 27-year sentence. Win Myint is serving eight years. Kim Aris, Aung San Suu Kyi’s youngest son, has called on China to intervene to help free his mother.
Aris told DVB in an interview on Sept. 16 that he feared Aung San Suu Kyi’s heart condition has worsened over the past five years since being held in prison by the regime in Naypyidaw.
Regime spokesperson Zaw Min Tun told pro-regime media on Sept. 6 that Aung San Suu Kyi is in “good health.” Naypyidaw has repeatedly refused to allow any independent access to verify her condition, or provide proof of life.
A total of 57 political parties have registered with the UEC to contest in the regime elections scheduled to begin on Dec. 28. Six parties will compete nationwide, including the PPP.
The military proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) fielded the largest number of candidates, with 1,018 running across all levels of parliament. The pro-regime National Unity Party (NUP) followed with 694 candidates, while the PPP ranked third with 672.
The NLD governed Myanmar from 2016-2021. It won consecutive landslide victories in the 2015 and 2020 general elections. Both elections were regarded as “free and fair” by international observers, which rejected allegations of voter fraud from pro-military parties, which ultimately led to the 2021 coup.
