By Nway / MPA
The European Union Embassy to Myanmar released a statement today (7 October) emphasizing that Mandalay Region Chief Minister Dr. Zaw Myint Maung was a staunch defender of human rights, who played a pivotal role in guiding Myanmar’s democratic transition.
The EU Embassy stated that Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, the Deputy Chairman of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and the Chief Minister of Mandalay Region, who passed away earlier this morning (7 October ), was imprisoned for 19 years between 1988 and 2009 and after the military seized power on 1 February, 2021, he was re-arrested on politically motivated charges by the State Administration Council (SAC). He spent several years in detention, where he was denied adequate medical treatment and suffered from severe illness in extremely inhumane and degrading conditions. Only in the final hours before his death SAC granted him amnesty, which was not an act of genuine compassion.
“Even though he suffered from illness in prison, without receiving adequate medical care, he continued to resist military dictatorship until his death. His legacy is an important historical record and a guide for us young people,” remarked a Mandalay Region parliamentarian elected in the 2020 elections.
Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, who had been sentenced to a total of 29 years in prison, was granted amnesty only when he was in a critical condition, unconscious in an emergency ward.
His release, the statement noted, was merely a preemptive move to avoid the spread of reports about his poor prison conditions to the Myanmar public and the international community, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).
Although Dr. Zaw Myint Maung was suffering from cancer, it was not cancer but the lack of regular medical treatment in prison that led to his death, said a parliamentarian from the Mandalay Region.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) also stated that Dr. Zaw Myint Maung died due to insufficient medical care while in detention.
The European Union expressed its solidarity with the people of Myanmar and reiterated the need for the immediate release of all those unjustly detained without exception. The EU further called for the restoration of the path to democracy and peace in Myanmar.
