Myanmar’s coup junta confirms acting president is seriously ill

Jul 19. (EUROPA PRESS) –

Burma’s acting president, Myint Swe, installed by the military junta, is seriously ill and unable to carry out his government duties, official media of the Burmese regime have confirmed.

The 73-year-old president served as vice president of the country during the civilian government overthrown in the 2021 military coup. From there, he became acting president, completely subject to the orders of the junta, the so-called State Administration Council led by General Min Aung Hlaing.

The acting president has been suffering from “neurological disorders and peripheral neuropathy” for years, which necessitated a latest round of medical treatment at a Burmese hospital from May 27 to June 18.

After receiving further treatment at home, the latest medical assessment on July 14 indicated that “his health condition has not improved” and he is “no longer able to carry out normal daily activities, including eating,” according to a statement from the junta’s Information Ministry posted on its website.

The relative problem facing the military junta is that the acting president is directly responsible for declaring the constant extensions of the state of emergency that has been in force in the country since the coup, the last of which ends in two weeks, and is a civilian figure who gives the regime a false semblance of legitimacy before the international community.

Since the coup, Burma has been mired in a civil war pitting the military against rebel groups and “popular resistance” organisations. The Armed Conflict Location Data Project (ACLED) NGO estimates that some 53,000 people have died as of the beginning of the month due to the armed conflict.