State Counsellor and public leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has maintained a firm commitment to non-violence while showing understanding towards those engaged in armed resistance, according to NLD Central Executive Committee member U Han Thar Myint. In an article published on June 17, U Han Thar Myint wrote about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s relationship with armed resistance movements. Since the SLORC era, while leading the National League for Democracy and consistently practicing non-violence, Aung San Suu Kyi has demonstrated understanding towards those involved in armed struggle.
After her first release from house arrest, when questioned by a Western journalist about whether she considered non-violence as a moral imperative like Mahatma Gandhi, Aung San Suu Kyi indicated that this was not the case. She demonstrated her understanding of armed resistance groups by officially supporting the Mae Tha Raw Hta declaration at the 1997 Union Day ceremony. Her approach showed that while personally adhering to non-violence, she maintained empathy for those who chose armed resistance.
Aung San Suu Kyi had decided to re-register the NLD and compete in the 2021 by-elections. Although she had to undertake many unwanted tasks after forming the government, all efforts were rendered futile by the military coup in February 2021. As a result, young people have been forced to join Ethnic Revolutionary Organizations (EROs) to fight against the military dictatorship. U Han Thar Myint wrote that when no other options remained, youth had to join the armed resistance movement either through existing EROs or by forming their own groups to combat the military regime.
Military-backed lobbies and media outlets have been extensively spreading disinformation through their Telegram channels, claiming that Aung San Suu Kyi does not support the National Unity Government (NUG) and Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) based on statements allegedly made in military council courts. However, U Han Thar Myint firmly believes that Aung San Suu Kyi understands and supports the current revolutionary movements, including the necessary actions taken by elected representatives in forming organizations like CRPH, NUG, and NUCC in response to the military coup.
