Henry Van Thio, the vice president of National League for Democracy (NLD) government, was dismissed from the party, according to a press statement of the party on 9 August.

The statement came out after he attended the meeting of National Defence and Security Council organized by the military regime on 31 July, together with the Pyithu Hluttaw (Lower House) Speaker T Khun Myat during the previous term of parliament.

The statement said, “Although U Henry Van Thio was a vice-president selected by the party during the term of previous Hluttaw from 2016 to 2021, he was seen on 31 July 2023 working together with the military regime which is committing many war crimes including atrocity, torture, arrest and killing civilians. NLD party convened an interim emergency meeting of second central committee on 8 August 2023, and decided to remove him as a member of the party.”

The decision of the NLD central committee included that the former vice president took an oath to follow objectives and policies of NLD party that prioritized the will of the people, and he also betrayed his pledges as a representative of the Amyotha Hluttaw (Upper House) of the NLD to implement the needs of people who voted for him in the 2020 General Election.

After the military coup in February 2021, nine CEC members of NLD, including the chairperson and the vice-chair, as well as many party members have been arrested. Senior CEC member Nyan Win died in prison as he had no access to proper medical treatment.