All is not well at the National League for Democracy HQ.
Win Htein, a central executive committee member and former aide to Aung San Suu Kyi, has accused another party official of circulating false online rumors about his impending resignation.
Forged documents containing the official NLD seal and saying Win Htein intended to resign on account of poor health were posted online last week.
“I know who did it,” he told the Myanmar Times. “The person is from our party, not an outsider. I don’t want to reveal a name. The police will find out who did it.”
The politician claimed the person responsible was someone involved in office operations and said he has filed a police complaint.“The cyber department will soon investigate,” he said.
The hoax came after Win Htein reportedly came under fire over his handling of a leadership dispute in Shan state.
According to the Times, Win Htein fired the Taunggyi district branch chair’s party membership after he criticized a previous reshuffling of the local executive committee. At the time, critics called the politician’s behavior “tyranny”.
Among the fake documents posted last week was a statement supposedly from Win Htein apologizing “for the misuse of the name of State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi while resolving the problem in Shan State”.
Recent months have brought division within the ranks of the NLD. Prior to last November’s election, which they won with a sweeping majority, there were resignations over what some members considered a “top-down” selection of candidates.
Win Htein denied there was significant internal dissent over the party’s direction.
“Although we are working according to the principles set out by party chair Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, there are still some dissenters regarding what we are doing. However, the party members are united.”
