If Aung San Suu Kyi dies behind bars, it will be the junta that killed her

The denial of urgent medical care to the former leader is a scandal, writes Benedict Rogers. Along with the crimes against humanity inflicted on the people of Myanmar, it should shock the conscience of the world

Aung San Suu Kyi is reportedly in such severe pain from gum disease that she is unable to eat (AP)

The denial of urgently needed medical treatment for Myanmar’s most prominent political prisoner, the country’s democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, is yet another stark reminder of the military regime’s inhumanity, barbarity and cruelty.

Suu Kyi, now 78, has been imprisoned since the military overthrew her elected government on 1 February 2021, and is now reportedly in such severe pain from gum disease that she is unable to eat. The prison authorities themselves requested medical treatment for Suu Kyi, who is suffering bouts of vomiting and dizziness, but that request has been refused by the junta.

The junta’s decision is illustrative of its total indifference to human life and human dignity. As her son, Kim Aris, has said, it is “callous and cruel”. If she continues to be in such pain that she is unable to eat, then her very life is in danger. Perhaps that is the military regime’s aim.