U Aung Kyaw Oo, the Speaker of the Mandalay Regional Parliament who was unjustly detained by the military council, has died at the Obo Prison hospital in Mandalay on June 27, as confirmed by NLD Central Executive Committee member and parliamentarian U Thun Myint. U Aung Kyaw Oo reportedly died suddenly around 7 AM on June 27 after experiencing difficulty breathing. Prison authorities have refused to release his body to his family.
The Mandalay Regional Parliament Speaker had been detained by the military council and sentenced to a total of five years in prison – three years under Penal Code Section 505(a) for alleged incitement against the state, and two years under Natural Disaster Management Law Section 25 for alleged violation of COVID-19 restrictions. His death occurred as he was nearing the end of his prison term. The circumstances of his sudden death while in custody have raised serious concerns about the treatment of political prisoners by the military council.
U Aung Kyaw Oo was first elected as a regional parliament representative for Patheingyi Township in Mandalay Region in the 2015 general election, running under the National League for Democracy (NLD) party. He was re-elected in the 2020 general election and was serving as the Speaker of the Mandalay Regional Parliament when he was arrested following the military coup. His sudden death while in custody has highlighted once again the brutal treatment of political prisoners by the military council, who continue to detain elected officials and civilians who oppose their illegal seizure of power. The refusal to return his body to his family for proper funeral rites further demonstrates the military council’s disregard for basic human dignity and rights.
