Vice president hospitalised on eve of coup anniversary

Vice President Henry Van Thio, who has retained his position under the current junta despite previously serving in Myanmar’s ousted civilian government, has been hospitalised in Naypyitaw, according to sources.

A source close to the 1,000-bed hospital where he is receiving treatment told Myanmar Now that the ethnic Chin politician was admitted at around 11am on Tuesday with “multiple injuries.”

He is currently staying in a room in the hospital’s private patient ward and is under heavy police guard, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“He had injuries to his head and neck. The entire ward is now being guarded by around 50 police, and there are also many police vehicles outside,” the source said.

According to the source, Van Thio’s injuries were reportedly caused when the 65-year-old slipped and fell in his home.

The incident coincided with a meeting of the National Defence and Security Council (NDSC) held on the eve of the second anniversary of the coup that overthrew Myanmar’s elected National League for Democracy (NLD) government on February 1, 2021.

As vice president, Van Thio was expected to attend the meeting, which was convened as the junta reached the constitutionally-mandated two-year limit on its “emergency powers.”

Regime propaganda outlets reporting on the meeting said that he was unable to join the other NDSC members, including junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, for reasons related to his health.

Van Thio is one of only two members of the previous NLD-led administration to retain his position since the military takeover. The other is Myint Swe, who was also vice-president until he was made acting president after the coup.

Despite officially being a member of the NDSC, Van Thio is believed to be under de facto house arrest. He was, however, permitted to testify in court last December on behalf of the deposed president, Win Myint, and ousted State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.

Van Thio was also absent when the NDSC met to extend the junta’s rule on January 31 and July 31 of last year. On both occasions, his health was cited as his reason for not attending.