7-10-2024 (YANGON) Zaw Myint Maung, a stalwart of Myanmar’s pro-democracy movement and close confidant of Aung San Suu Kyi, has passed away at the age of 72, mere days after his release from military custody on health grounds. The National League for Democracy (NLD) veteran succumbed to leukaemia on Monday, marking a significant loss for the beleaguered opposition movement.
A senior NLD source, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the passing to AFP, describing it as “a big loss” for the party. “Although we were prepared we might lose him one day, we are sorry for losing him in this difficult situation. We have to move forward for democracy with the leaders we have,” the source added.
Zaw Myint Maung’s political journey was one of unwavering commitment to democracy, spanning over three decades. In 1988, he spearheaded a doctors’ strike during the pro-democracy uprisings that catapulted Aung San Suu Kyi into the national spotlight. The following year, he abandoned his academic career in biochemistry to join the NLD, a decision that would lead to nearly two decades of imprisonment under the military regime.
His resilience and dedication were rewarded in 2015 when, following democratic reforms, he was appointed chief minister of the central Mandalay region. Aung San Suu Kyi herself lauded him as a “real hardcore and a comrade who has been together with us since the very beginning”.
However, the military coup of 2021 once again saw Zaw Myint Maung behind bars, charged with corruption and other offences. The European Union’s delegation to Myanmar condemned these charges as “fallacious” and criticised the “inhumane and degrading” conditions of his detention. They further noted that his pardon, granted just hours before his death, “was not a gesture of genuine clemency”.
Zaw Myint Maung’s passing is emblematic of the broader challenges facing Myanmar’s pro-democracy movement. The military junta’s crackdown has decimated the NLD’s senior ranks, with several key figures either imprisoned or deceased. The party itself was dissolved in March 2023 for failing to re-register under new electoral laws, effectively removing it from any potential future elections.
Meanwhile, Aung San Suu Kyi, now 79, continues to serve a 27-year sentence on various charges, which rights groups dismiss as politically motivated. The ongoing conflict has displaced nearly three million people, according to UN estimates, as armed opposition to military rule persists more than three years after the coup.
