Myanmar’s military regime has arrested and jailed nearly 2,000 members of the deposed National League for Democracy, or NLD, since seizing power in a coup d’etat, the party said Wednesday in a statement to mark the 35th anniversary of its founding.
The NLD became Myanmar’s ruling party in 2015, following a landslide victory at the polls, but the military claimed the ballot was fixed and carried out a putsch on Feb. 1, 2021, arresting de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other top officials.
Since then, junta authorities have arrested 1,910 NLD members – at least 1,269 of whom are still in detention, the NLD’s Human Rights Documentation Team said in a report. The detainees include 1,077 men and 192 women, and 73 are elected members of parliament, the report said.
Khin Saung, a member of the NLD’s Central Executive Committee, told RFA Burmese that the military has dashed the dreams of the people of Myanmar, who overwhelmingly elected his party eight years ago.
“The military junta has continued to illegally arrest and imprison the top leaders of the National League for Democracy, arbitrarily seal or destroy party offices, and viciously assassinate party members,” he said. “It is clear that the junta is trying to systematically destroy the NLD.”
Junta authorities have raided NLD party offices throughout the country at least 160 times, destroyed 390 NLD-owned houses and plots of land, and seized the assets of 373 party members – including the homes of 182 members of parliament, 64 business properties, and 16 vehicles, the report said.
Security personnel have killed at least 100 NLD party members – including three lawmakers – it said.
The military regime has remained silent about the targeting of the NLD and attempts by RFA to contact junta Deputy Information Minister Zaw Min Tun about the party’s allegations went unanswered Wednesday.
According to Thailand’s Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), the junta has killed at least 4,124 democracy activists and civilians throughout the country since the coup. At least 19,272 people remained in junta detention as of Wednesday, the group said.
Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Matt Reed.