Myanmar’s ousted ruling party has warned the country’s military junta that it bears sole responsibility for the health of its leader, detained State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Central Working Committee of the National League for Democracy (NLD) expressed deep concern about Suu Kyi’s health in light of recent reports that she has developed a serious medical condition.
“[W]e are particularly concerned that she is not receiving adequate medical care and [the military authorities] are not providing healthy food nor accommodation sufficiently with the intention to risk her life,” the party said in its statement.
“If Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s health is not only impaired but her life also is endangered, the military junta is solely responsible.”
Suu Kyi’s son, British national Kim Aris, disclosed to the media last week that his imprisoned 78-year-old mother has been suffering from severe health issues, including gum problems that have affected her ability to eat. He said she has experienced episodes of dizziness and vomiting, and at one point was unable to walk, according to a report from the Associated Press.
The NLD also called on the international community to hold the junta accountable for the safety of its leader and demanded Suu Kyi’s immediate release and that of all other political prisoners.
The party “earnestly requests all actors to advance efforts and push for their release with a stronger than current leverage,” it said in its statement.
The NLD also accused the military junta of holding Suu Kyi as a hostage and a bargaining chip to ensure its own continued existence, and said it had deprived her of her rights as a political prisoner by detaining her in undisclosed locations.
The ousted leader was sentenced last year to a total of 33 years behind bars on multiple charges. On August 1, the regime reduced her jail term by six years, in a move seen as an attempt to appease critics.
Suu Kyi has been detained since the military seized power on February 1, 2021, and has been seen publicly only once since then—in a grainy photo of her at one of her court appearances, released at the time by the military.
The charges against her, including alleged corruption and election fraud, are generally regarded as part of a campaign to discredit her and her party, which won a landslide election in November 2020.
