Key Suu Kyi ally dies shortly after junta amnesty

Zaw Myint Maung left at Parliament in Naypyitaw Myanmar on July 23 2015 AP-Yonhap — This photo shows Zaw Myint Maung (left) conversing with Aung San Suu Kyi at Parliament in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, on July 23, 2015. AP-Yonhap

SEOUL, October 08 (AJP) - A close associate of Myanmar's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi has died Monday, shortly after being granted amnesty by the military junta. Zaw Myint Maung, a former governor of Mandalay region and key figure in Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party, died at the age of 72 after being released from prison due to deteriorating health.

Myint Maung, who had served as vice-chairman and acting chairman of the NLD, was sentenced to 29 years in prison on charges including corruption, sedition and election fraud. He was recently transferred to a hospital in Mandalay, where his allies confirmed seeing the junta's amnesty document the day before his death.

The Myanmar military, led by Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, seized power in a February 2021 coup following the NLD's landslide victory in the 2020 election. The junta has announced plans to hold new elections next year, but the democratic opposition and several countries, including the United States, have stated they will not recognize the results. Meanwhile, China and Russia have expressed support for the military-led elections.

AJP

Key Suu Kyi ally dies shortly after junta amnesty

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