Myanmar’s military regime said on Monday it had executed four pro-democracy activists convicted of aiding the country’s resistance forces in internationally questioned trials.
The four men were sentenced to death between January and April, and it was not detailed when or how they died. The Association for Assistance to Political Prisoners (AAPP) claims that these are the first judicial executions in the country since the late 1980s.
Among those killed by the military junta, which seized power in a February 2021 coup, is Phyo Zeya Thaw, 41, a former deputy for the National League for Democracy (LND) party, to which civilian leader Aung San also belongs. Suu Kyi, arrested by the military.
Kyaw Min Yu, 53, Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw also died. “These executions amount to the arbitrary deprivation of life and are another example of Myanmar’s cruel human rights record,” said Erwin Van Der Borght, Amnesty International’s regional director.
Organizations are pressing the international community for responses, in particular to prevent further executions from taking place. AAPP figures show that, since the military took power, 76 prisoners were sentenced to the death penalty and another 41 people are also on the run, totaling 117 sentenced to execution.
Thazin Nyunt Aung, wife of Phyo Zeyar Thaw, told Reuters that she was not informed about her husband’s execution. The men were held in the colonial-era Insein prison.
All the men were charged with crimes linked to the country’s new anti-terrorism legislation. Phyo and Kyaw — the latter known as Jimmy and an opponent of the Army since his teens — were accused of having orchestrated attacks against the junta. The other two men were accused of executing an alleged military informant.
UN experts, in a recent report, stated that the martial law imposed in Myanmar gave the military the possibility of decreeing the death penalty for 23 types of crimes that would be vague and would repress any criticism of the current power.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said the killings went against repeated calls for a peaceful resolution of the conflict and the release of detainees, further isolating Myanmar.
The US Embassy also condemned the executions of pro-democracy leaders. China, in turn, called, through the Foreign Ministry’s spokesman, that “all parties resolve conflicts within the constitutional framework” and claimed that it prioritizes the principle of non-interference in the domestic affairs of other countries.
