Six Myanmar resistance groups unite to end military rule; Political prisoner dies due to inadequate medical care

Six Myanmar resistance groups unite to end military rule

The National Unity Government (NUG), the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), along with four ethnic armed groups—the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), the Karen National Union (KNU), the Chin National Front (CNF), and the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP)—announced the formation of the Steering Committee for the Emergence of a Federal Democratic Union on Monday.

“This is a new political and military coordination body aimed at ending military rule and establishing a federal democratic union in Myanmar,” according to the announcement on March 30. Duwa Lashi La, the NUG Acting President, said that this new coalition represents a “significant milestone built on mutual trust among allies” during an online meeting between the six groups opposed to the military 2021 coup.

The Steering Committee for the Emergence of a Federal Democratic Union was formed “to coordinate, lead, and implement military, political, federal, and institutional affairs.” The announcement added that the six founding member groups are preparing for a transitional period to establish a civilian-led government in Myanmar, not one headed by the Burma military or regime leader Min Aung Hlaing.

Six key political objectives were named: to remove the regime from power, place all armed forces under a civilian government, abolish the 2008 constitution, adopt a new federal democratic charter, build a federal union based on equality and self-determination, and ensure justice for victims of military crimes through transitional justice mechanisms.

The March 30 announcement about the formation of the Steering Committee for the Emergence of a Federal Democratic Union added that it will operate under collective leadership to ensure legitimacy, unity and accountability, but did not name any specific individuals or give roles to any of the members from its six founding resistance groups.

Political prisoner dies due to inadequate medical care

The Political Prisoners Network Myanmar (PPNM), a group monitoring prison conditions in Burma, reported that political prisoner Thet Thet Mar died inside Sagaing Region’s Taze Prison on Friday. Thet Thet Mar was arrested with her son in place of her husband, who was wanted by regime authorities for supporting “terrorist groups,” at their family home in Shwebo Township in 2023. Shwebo is located 57 miles (91 km) northeast of the Sagaing Region capital Monywa.

PPNM stated on March 27 that Thet Thet Mar had been receiving treatment for severe gout at Taze Prison but was not allowed to be transferred to an outside hospital. She was serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code for “incitement,” and Sections 50(a) and 52(a) of the Counter-Terrorism Law for providing support to “terrorist groups.” Taze is 28 miles (45 km) northwest of Shwebo and 70 miles (113 km) north of Monywa.

Thet Thet Mar’s family told PPNM that they have not received her body from prison authorities. They called on the international community to monitor human rights violations inside Burma’s prisons, including the lack of adequate medical care for political prisoners. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) has documented that at least 74 political prisoners have died due to a lack of medical treatment, including student activist Wutyi Aung who died at Yangon’s Insein Prison last July.