On 17 April 2026, exactly one week after assuming the junta-engineered presidency, Min Aung Hlaing released Myanmar’s democratically elected President Win Myint from Taungoo Prison following five years of unjust incarceration. Notably, President Win Myint boldly refused to sign the junta’s conditional release form under Section 401(1) of the Penal Code, maintaining he had never breached any law and committed no crimes.
Immediately following the release, the junta initiated a severe crackdown on his network. On 18 April 2026, National League for Democracy (NLD) spokesperson Dr. Myo Nyunt was arrested and interrogated for confirming the release to the media. While Dr. Myo Nyunt was freed the next day, the regime simultaneously placed President Win Myint and NLD Central Executive Committee (CEC) members under “strict surveillance,” functioning as an unofficial house arrest. The junta assigned Naypyidaw Council Minister Col. Ye Moe to oversee a multi-tiered, 30-person surveillance operation drawing from Military Intelligence (Sa Ya Pha), police, and military units. Furthermore, anyone attempting to visit the President is now subjected to rigorous advanced checks, including identity verification through the junta’s invasive Personal Scrutinization and Monitoring System (PSMS), effectively isolating him from civil society and his political allies.