Myanmar politician Nyan Win, a senior adviser to deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi, has died in hospital after becoming infected with COVID-19 in jail, his party said, as the Southeast Asian country struggles with an exponential rise in infections.
Nyan Win, 78, who had been held in Yangon’s Insein Prison after being arrested when the military seized power on February 1, was transferred to hospital last week, the National League for Democracy (NLD) said in a statement on Tuesday.
“We promise to continue fighting for our unfinished tasks, to end the dictatorship in the country and to establish a Federal Democratic Union,” the NLD statement said, offering condolences to the family of a man who had been Suu Kyi’s lawyer and party spokesman.
Myanmar’s military leadership also confirmed the death.
“U Nyan Win was found with COVID symptoms on July 11 and transferred to Yangon General Hospital … to get treatment,” said Zaw Min Tun, spokesman of the State Administration Council – as the military government calls itself.
“He died this morning at 9am in the hospital.”
