U Nyan Win, a senior member of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and a long-time personal lawyer to Aung San Suu Kyi, has died of COVID-19 while detained by Myanmar’s military regime. He was 79 years old.
U Nyan Win was arrested on the morning of the February 1 coup and detained at Insein Prison, where he contracted the virus. He was transferred to Yangon General Hospital’s intensive care unit on July 11. His death marks one of the first fatalities among political prisoners during Myanmar’s ongoing struggle with a severe COVID-19 outbreak.
A member of the NLD since its founding in 1988, U Nyan Win served as a representative of Mon State’s Paung Township in the 1990 elections, which the military junta refused to recognize. He also served as Aung San Suu Kyi’s legal advisor during her previous house arrest periods.
U Nyan Win was an outspoken critic of the military’s 2008 Constitution and anticipated the coup before it occurred, warning that the military would face legal consequences if it took power unlawfully. He was detained along with other senior NLD leaders on February 1, and later charged with sedition related to NLD statements.
Despite his health issues, including heart disease and gout, U Nyan Win remained active in NLD campaigns, including the 2012 by-elections and the 2015 and 2020 general elections. He is survived by his wife, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, and a daughter.
His death underscores the ongoing hardships faced by political prisoners under the military regime, as COVID-19 continues to spread in Myanmar’s overcrowded prisons. The junta has reported over 2,100 COVID-19 deaths, though the true toll is believed to be much higher.
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