National League for Democracy

The National League for Democracy (NLD) was founded on September 27, 1988, with the aim of bringing about multi-party democracy based on non-violence and peace. Its founders were former brigadier general and former vice chief of staff U Aung Gyi, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of General Aung San, and retired general and former commander-in-chief Thura U Tin Oo, known together as "Aung, Suu, Tin". Their three groups, with four members each, formed the party's first 12-member central executive committee, six of whom were retired military officers.

The party later expanded with a 30-member central committee in addition to the central executive committee. After U Aung Gyi left the party, Thura U Tin Oo served as party chair and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as general secretary.

It contested the multi-party general election held on May 27, 1990, with five party positions, the essence of which was the flourishing of democracy and the end of dictatorship. Turnout in that election reached 72.6 percent of eligible voters, and the NLD won 392 of the 492 constituencies it contested.

However, because the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) did not transfer power, it was not able to govern. At a meeting of NLD Pyithu Hluttaw representatives held at Gandhi Hall on July 28 and 29, 1990, it issued a declaration calling for the Pyithu Hluttaw to be convened. The declaration called for dialogue to find solutions, but the SLORC government ignored it.

The SLORC government itself announced through Declaration No. (11/92) on April 24, 1992, that it would hold a National Convention with six objectives to draft a constitution. Only 702 delegates were chosen, of whom only 107 were from the NLD among those elected in the 1990 election. When ethnic delegates objected to the political structure proposed by the SLORC military government, the convention was suspended twice, on January 9, 1993, two days after it began, and again on April 7, 1993. On June 7, 1993, Yangon Region Military Commander Lieutenant General Myo Nyunt revived the convention and pressed for the new constitution to guarantee that the military must play a leading role in national politics. On August 4 that year, elected NLD representative Dr. Aung Khin Sint was arrested for possessing leaflets criticizing the National Convention, and the convention was suspended again on September 16.

When the resumed convention drafted restrictions to prevent party leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from becoming president, the NLD called for a review of the convention process and for an end to unjust arrests of those who spoke against the military at the convention. When the military rejected these demands, 86 NLD delegates boycotted the convention in protest on November 28, 1995. The next day, November 29, all NLD delegates were expelled from the National Convention. After the expulsion, the SLORC government continuously arrested party leaders and forced party offices to close.

Party representatives who fled the arrests founded the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), together with other party members and independent representatives, in the Manerplaw area where the Karen National Union (KNU) is based.

In 2001, some NLD leaders were released and party branch offices were allowed to reopen, and in May 2002 party general secretary Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest. During a trip in May 2003, she was attacked at Kyi village near Depayin, Sagaing Region; party leaders Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Thura U Tin Oo narrowly escaped, but many party members and local people were killed, in what became known as the "Depayin Massacre". Both were detained again afterwards. Party activities then came almost to a halt.

After the military government drafted and approved the 2008 Constitution, it prepared to hold elections in 2010. During these preparations, on April 29, 2009, the party issued the "Shwegondaing Declaration". The declaration identified as the main problems needing immediate resolution the unconditional and swift release of all political prisoners, including the detained Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and U Tin Oo; review and amendment of the constitution; and recognition in some way of the Pyithu Hluttaw that resulted from the 1990 election. It also included the party's envisioned plans for dialogue to resolve these problems.

On the 2010 election, the Shwegondaing Declaration also stated that if the League's leader and political prisoners were released unconditionally, if provisions of the 2008 Constitution inconsistent with democratic standards were amended, and if international observation was allowed for an inclusive, free and fair election, the party would study the Political Parties Registration Law and election-related laws and consider contesting the election as a special matter. However, the military government ignored the declaration.

On the 2010 election, party leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, then in detention, stated her position when allowed to meet her lawyers on March 23, 2010, that she "does not want the party to register under the military government's unjust laws". At that time, some who wanted to contest left the party and stood under new names. Only on the tenth day after the election was detained NLD leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi released from house arrest.

After the detained leaders were released, party activities resumed. President U Thein Sein, who came to power through the 2010 election, also personally signed amendments to some provisions of the Political Parties Registration Law. Because of these amendments, a meeting was held at the party headquarters on November 18, 2011, which decided to re-register the party and contest elections.

In the 2012 by-elections, it won 43 of 45 vacant seats, and party leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was elected Pyithu Hluttaw representative for Kawhmu Township.

In the general election held on November 8, 2015,  the NLD won a majority of seats in the various Hluttaws and gained the right to form a government.

At the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw session on March 15, 2016, U Htin Kyaw, considered the NLD's representative, became president, and the NLD government began to be formed on March 30.

The 2020 general election was held on November 8 that year, and the NLD again won a majority of constituencies. On February 1, 2021, the junta seized power, arresting and detaining government leaders including President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Its newly reconstituted election commission also announced on July 26 that the 2020 election results were annulled.

To carry out the party's work while most key leaders of the central executive committee were detained, the party formed its Central Working Committee on November 5, 2021, and continues to carry out the party's work.

It took part in the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC), but suspended its participation in 2022.