Political parties have been placed under scrutiny by the junta’s Ministry of Home Affairs, who are carrying out investigations into the identities of their members, their activities and organisational ties.
Democratic Party (Myanmar) chairperson Thu Wai said that the ministry’s officials visited his party’s headquarters in Yangon on June 10.
“They asked how we got party funds, about our contacts, in which townships our party is operating, how many party signs we have in townships, how the party funds were collected, and how we used the funds,” Thu Wai told Myanmar Now, adding, “I don’t know what they are planning to do.”
The process follows a May 24 directive issued by the military council’s Union Election Commission (UEC) to the Ministry of Home Affairs to “scrutinise political parties.”
The junta’s UEC requested that the ministry look into whether any parties have had contact with or provide support to so-called “illegal associations.”
Thu Wai said that during the hour-long “inspection” of his party’s headquarters, the regime officials did not inquire about the Committee Representing the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) or the National Unity Government (NUG), which were both declared by the coup council as illegal.
CRPH was formed by lawmakers ousted in Myanmar’s February 1 military coup; the NUG is the cabinet of the anti-coup interim government.
In some cases, the home affairs ministry made appointments with political parties to carry out the “inspections,” but in other instances officials showed up unannounced.
Sai Nyunt Lwin, chairperson of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), said that his party office in Yangon was visited by junta representatives without warning.
“We didn’t have a prior appointment,” he said. “It was a surprise check.”
The team that visited the SNLD office included members of the Criminal Investigation Department, Department of Special Investigation, the General Administration Department and the police force.
They questioned SNLD representatives about whether any party members had been issued an arrest warrant under Section 505a of the Penal Code for incitement, or whether any party members had been involved in the Civil Disobedience Movement, which aims to topple the junta. Sai Nyunt Lwin added that they were also asked whether the party had ties to the CRPH or NUG.
The officials also “demanded” a list of the SNLD’s central executive committee members, he added.
The junta’s officials also inspected two parties with known ties to the regime: the New National Democracy Party led by military council member Thein Nyunt, and the National Democratic Force led by military council member Khin Maung Swe, according to a BBC report.
Myanmar Now was informed that the People’s Pioneer Party, led by the junta’s Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Thet Thet Khine, had been notified of an inspection on June 14, but at the time of reporting, could not confirm whether the visit took place.
Veteran journalist Sithu Aung Myint speculated that the probe is intended to eliminate the National League for Democracy (NLD) from politics and ensure military allies are positioned to “win” a future election.
“As soon as the NLD is removed, they will hold an election again. In accordance with the 2008 Constitution, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing is aiming to make himself president. It is very simple. He is looking for reasons to make the NLD an illegal party,” Sithu Aung Myint told Myanmar Now.
After the military coup, the junta reorganised the UEC with members sympathetic to the regime, and appointed Thein Soe, a former general, as its chairperson.
Thein Soe repeatedly hinted that the NLD was to be disbanded; the junta has arrested several NLD leaders and members and filed criminal charges against them.
At the time of reporting, it was still unknown when the NLD would face a similar inspection by the military council’s home affairs ministry.
Myanmar Now attempted to contact NLD central executive committee members to comment on the issue, but did not receive a response.
NLD chairperson Aung San Suu Kyi insisted in a message to the public delivered through her lawyers in a closed court hearing on May 24 in Naypyitaw that the NLD would continue to exist regardless of whether the junta disbanded it.
