Killing the Opposition: Numbers behind Myanmar Military Junta's Targeted Crushing of the Main Opposition Party

A report submitted to the 36th anniversary of the Establishment of the National League for Democracy (NLD) Party by the NLD's Human Rights Documentation Team (HRDT) reveals the figures behind Myanmar military's targeted arrests and killings of civilians including NLD party members and Members of Parliaments (MPs). 

Link to the Original Report HERE

Disclaimer: The images here are taken from the NLD's Human Rights Documentation Team's report, according to which "the following figures are collected to the highest accessible extent as of September 15, 2024, and in reality, the figures could be much higher." Only the information related to the junta's targeted crushing of the NLD have been extracted from the report. 

In addition to the de-registering of the NLD as a political party, the Military has targeted the NLD through human rights abuses to ensure that the NLD is no longer an effective political opponent.

According to the records collected as of September 15, 2024, by Human Rights Violation Documentation Team (National League for Democracy) (HRDT-NLD):

(a) Due to unlawful confiscation of people’s homes and properties, theft or looting of the belongings in the homes, assets and properties, the properties of 833 people have been 

confiscated and there are 1,014 cases of damage and loss. Among them, the properties of 199 members of Parliament from NLD, 250 party members, thus the properties of a total of 449 members of NLD have been seized and there are 563 cases of damage and loss.

(b) The military junta has repeatedly vandalized and damaged the offices of the National League for Democracy since they have the intention of targeting the members and offices of NLD. The frequency of vandalization is as follows, resulting in a total of 165 times:

NLD Headquarter Office (Yangon) - 3 times.

State and Regional NLD offices - 15 times.

District NLD offices - 6 times.

Township NLD offices - 113 times.

Ward & Village NLD offices - 28 times.

(c) The Military junta has unlawfully arrested 18,174 people including 145 parliamentarians of NLD and 2,248 members of NLD. Among them, there also are 259 children and 2,153 women who are currently under detention.

(d) The worst crimes committed by the military are the torture and killing of innocent civilians for no reason, burning people alive and burning down houses of the people without any reason. As for September 15, 2024, among 4,868 people who have been unlawfully arrested, tortured and killed, there were 2 members of Parliament of NLD, 107 members of the NLD, 395 children and 711 women.

When taken together the most egregious strategies are aimed at ensuring that there is no effective political opposition at the “elections” which the SAC are proposing to conduct in 2025.  

In circumstances where there has been a targeted campaign to remove all political opposition, any such elections cannot be free and fair, nor democratic in any sense.  If the "elections" in 2025 are not free and fair then the people of Myanmar are unlikely to accept the outcome.  The elections will not result in peace or stability in Myanmar.