Myanmar Vice President Henry Van Thio, who served in Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government after which held the post after the military ousted her to take power in 2021, is stepping down for unspecified health reasons, state media reported on Monday.
State television MRTV announced on Monday evening that 65-year-old Van Thio was constitutionally allowed to depart office for health reasons, but gave no details about his health or said who, if anyone, would replace him.
Van Thio was the one member of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy to stay on the National Defense and Security Council after the military seized power from Suu Kyi’s elected government in February 2021.
The council, established under the previous military government, is the very best constitutional government body liable for security and defense matters and is nominally headed by the president. However, in practice it’s controlled by the military. Its members include top military commanders and collaborating politicians.
She played a key role throughout the military’s seizure of power in February 2021, when the president of Suu Kyi’s government, Win Myint, was detained along along with her, and First Vice President Myint Swe, a member of a pro-military party, became acting president.
The move enabled a council to be convened, a state of emergency to be declared and power to be handed over to military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
Although the military says it took power constitutionally, lawyers generally describe its actions as illegal. He prolonged the state of emergency several times.
Myanmar’s neighbors sit on the sidelines because it descends into chaos
Myanmar’s neighbors sit on the sidelines because it descends into chaos
Van Thio played no apparent energetic role within the military government beyond helping to supply it with the looks of constitutional rule.
He almost completely disappeared from the general public eye until his first known attendance at a gathering of the National Defense and Security Council last July, when the state of emergency was prolonged for the fourth time.
He was absent from previous council meetings regarding the extension of the state of emergency, citing poor health as the explanation. He was reportedly treated in hospital in January last yr after suffering a serious head injury following a fall at his residence within the capital, Naypyidaw.
A couple of days after the July council meeting, the National League for Democracy announced that it had expelled him from the party on account of his presence on the meeting.
The party was dissolved in March last yr by the military government, whose legitimacy it doesn’t recognize, for failing to fulfill the registration deadline.
Suu Kyi’s party increased its majority within the November 2020 elections, but in February 2021, the military blocked all elected lawmakers from taking their seats in parliament and seized power, detaining leading members of Suu Kyi’s government and party, except Van Thio and Myint Swe,
The army said it staged a takeover of power in 2021 on account of massive voter fraud, although independent election observers found no major irregularities.
The army takeover was met with widespread public opposition. After peaceful demonstrations were suppressed with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms, and far of the country is now engulfed in conflict.
