The National League for Democracy (NLD) has responded to the invitation to attend the Myanmar stakeholders’ meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, stating that the release of political prisoners, including President Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi, is necessary. On August 3, the NLD Central Executive Committee sent an open letter to ASEAN Special Envoy for Myanmar Tan Sri Othman Hashim. As NLD representatives cannot attend the meeting scheduled for August 4-7, they conveyed their position through this open letter.
The NLD expressed their belief that political problems must be solved through political means and acknowledged ASEAN’s efforts in implementing the Five-Point Consensus to resolve Myanmar’s issues. They pointed out that the root cause of Myanmar’s problems stems from the military’s coup against the elected civilian government in violation of the existing constitution. Therefore, they emphasized that the military’s actions should not be recognized or cooperated with. The NLD highlighted that the military is attempting to exclude State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD from Myanmar’s political process to achieve their desired outcome in their fraudulent election. They have enacted oppressive laws to prevent citizens from freely expressing their will in elections, making it clear that this will not be an election that reflects the true will of the people.
The NLD pointed out that political prisoners are currently being denied their rights under prison regulations and adequate healthcare, resulting in continuous deaths in prisons. They requested ASEAN to establish measures to protect political prisoners. The party firmly believes that Myanmar’s political problems cannot be resolved without dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi, emphasizing the urgent need for the release of all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint. The NLD Central Executive Committee stressed that implementing measures to stop the military’s aerial bombardment of civilians is more crucial than providing humanitarian assistance.
The NLD’s response underscores that the military’s sham election process, coupled with their systematic exclusion of democratic forces and oppression of civilian populations, cannot lead to a genuine democratic transition. They warn that opposing and preventing this fraudulent election process is necessary to avoid further complications and problems in Myanmar’s political landscape. The party maintains that any resolution to Myanmar’s crisis must begin with the immediate release of all political prisoners and an end to the military’s violence against civilians, including their ongoing aerial attacks on civilian populations across the country.
