Myint Thein
Encyclopedia
Myint Thein was a Burmese
pro-democracy activist and spokesman for the National League for Democracy
(NLD), the political party of Aung San Suu Kyi
. He regularly met with journalists, usually in secret, both inside and outside Myanmar
, in order to draw international attention to the pro-democracy struggle against the military government of the country.
Myint Thein first became active in Burma's in 1988. During that same year, thousands of Burmese civilians were killed by the military during a pro-democracy uprising against the government. He also became active in politics. He was first elected as a MP
in 1990 in Kyaikmaraw Township
, a constituency in the country's Mon State
, which is heavily populated by Burma's Mon people
. He became a leading party official in Mon State's National League for Democracy following the Burmese general election of 1990
in which Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD took the majority of the seats in the Burmese parliament. The results were ignored by the Burmese generals who overturned the election and imprisoned NLD members.
Myint Thein remained a close ally of the NLD's imprisoned leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. He was appointed the party spokesperson in 2004.
Myint Thein was imprisoned numerous times encompassing several years between 1988 and 2007. His most recent imprisonment occurred during the crackdown on the 2007 Burmese anti-government protests
by Burmese civilians and the country's revered Buddhist monks. He was held at the Insein Prison
, a notorious prison located in Rangoon. His health rapidly deteriorated while he was incarcerated at Insein, and he was released in October 2007. Doctors diagnosed him with gall bladder problems and severe gastritis
. His doctors recommended that he travel to Singapore
for immediate medical treatment.
It took two months for Myint Thein to get the needed permission from the military junta
to leave Burma for treatment in Singapore. Government authorities refused to speed up the process. He was finally allowed to leave Burma for Singapore at the end of January 2008. He was diagnosed with stomach cancer
at Singapore General Hospital
.
Myint Thein died in Singapore
on 28 March 2008, at the age of 62. He was survived by his wife and three sons and one daughter.
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
pro-democracy activist and spokesman for the National League for Democracy
National League for Democracy
The National League for Democracy is a Burmese political party founded on 27 September 1988. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi serves as its General Secretary. The party won a substantial parliamentary majority in the 1990 Burmese general election. However, the ruling military junta...
(NLD), the political party of Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi, AC is a Burmese opposition politician and the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy. In the 1990 general election, her National League for Democracy party won 59% of the national votes and 81% of the seats in Parliament. She had, however, already been detained...
. He regularly met with journalists, usually in secret, both inside and outside Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, in order to draw international attention to the pro-democracy struggle against the military government of the country.
Myint Thein first became active in Burma's in 1988. During that same year, thousands of Burmese civilians were killed by the military during a pro-democracy uprising against the government. He also became active in politics. He was first elected as a MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in 1990 in Kyaikmaraw Township
Kyaikmaraw Township
Kyaikmaraw Township is a township of Mawlamyine District in the Mon State of Myanmar....
, a constituency in the country's Mon State
Mon State
Mon State is an administrative division of Myanmar. It is sandwiched between Kayin State on the east, the Andaman Sea on the west, Bago Region on the north and Tanintharyi Region on the south, and has a short border with Thailand's Kanchanaburi Province at its south-eastern tip. The land area is...
, which is heavily populated by Burma's Mon people
Mon people
The Mon are an ethnic group from Burma , living mostly in Mon State, Bago Division, the Irrawaddy Delta, and along the southern Thai–Burmese border. One of the earliest peoples to reside in Southeast Asia, the Mon were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Burma and Thailand...
. He became a leading party official in Mon State's National League for Democracy following the Burmese general election of 1990
Burmese general election, 1990
General elections were held in Burma on 27 May 1990, the first multi-party elections since 1960, after which the country had been ruled by a military dictatorship...
in which Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD took the majority of the seats in the Burmese parliament. The results were ignored by the Burmese generals who overturned the election and imprisoned NLD members.
Myint Thein remained a close ally of the NLD's imprisoned leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. He was appointed the party spokesperson in 2004.
Myint Thein was imprisoned numerous times encompassing several years between 1988 and 2007. His most recent imprisonment occurred during the crackdown on the 2007 Burmese anti-government protests
2007 Burmese anti-government protests
The 2007 Burmese anti-government protests were a series of anti-government protests that started in Burma on 15 August 2007...
by Burmese civilians and the country's revered Buddhist monks. He was held at the Insein Prison
Insein Prison
Insein Prison is located in Yangon Division, near Yangon , the old capital of Myanmar. It is run by the military junta of Myanmar, the State Peace and Development Council, and used largely to repress political dissidents....
, a notorious prison located in Rangoon. His health rapidly deteriorated while he was incarcerated at Insein, and he was released in October 2007. Doctors diagnosed him with gall bladder problems and severe gastritis
Gastritis
Gastritis is an inflammation of the lining of the stomach, and has many possible causes. The main acute causes are excessive alcohol consumption or prolonged use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Sometimes gastritis develops after major surgery, traumatic...
. His doctors recommended that he travel to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
for immediate medical treatment.
It took two months for Myint Thein to get the needed permission from the military junta
Military junta
A junta or military junta is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term derives from the Spanish language junta meaning committee, specifically a board of directors...
to leave Burma for treatment in Singapore. Government authorities refused to speed up the process. He was finally allowed to leave Burma for Singapore at the end of January 2008. He was diagnosed with stomach cancer
Stomach cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
at Singapore General Hospital
Singapore General Hospital
The Singapore General Hospital is the largest and oldest hospital in Singapore, of which the foundation of its first building was laid in 1821....
.
Myint Thein died in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
on 28 March 2008, at the age of 62. He was survived by his wife and three sons and one daughter.