The military junta in Myanmar (formerly Burma) has executed four prisoners, two of them opposition politicians, the first use of the death penalty in more than three decades, official media reported Monday.
In a brief note published by the military-controlled Myanmar National Agency, the military authorities confirm that “the punishment was carried out” by hangingwithout specifying when.
Among those executed were former National League for Democracy MP Phyo Zeyar Thaw and activist Ko Jimmy, who was convicted in January on terrorism charges following activities against the junta.
The other two are Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw, accused of killing a woman for allegedly being an army informer.
“Extremely shocked and saddened to read the news of the execution of four pro-democracy activists,” he wrote on the social network. twitter the self-styled Government of National Unity, which opposes the military, calling on the United Nations, the European Union and the bloc of Southeast Asian countries to “punish the military junta for its cruelty and murders.”
Extremely saddened and outraged to read the news of the execution of four democracy activists, including Ko Jimmy and Ko PhyoZayarThaw. @UNITED NATIONS @ASEAN International actors must take action against murderous unions. ##WhatsHappeningInMyanmar
— Acting President Duwa Lashi La (@DuwaLashiLa) July 25, 2022
The military regime, which took control of the country in a coup on February 1, 2021, announced in early June that it would resume capital punishment.
The initiative was condemned by several countries, including France, the United States and Canada, as well as by the United Nations and hundreds of local and international non-governmental organizations.
The last execution in Burma took place in 1988, under the former military junta that ruled the country from 1962 to 2011, according to Amnesty International.
Since the military uprising, 113 people were sentenced to death in a country that had not revoked the sentence, but where the convicted had their sentences changed for time in prison, following the traditional pardons granted by the authorities on special dates.
The coup plunged Myanmar into a deep political, social and economic crisis, and unleashed a spiral of violence with new civilian militias.
More than two thousand civilians died as a result of a brutal repression of police and soldierswho shot at peaceful and unarmed demonstrators, according to data compiled by the Association for Helping Political Prisoners, which does not count deaths during armed clashes or fatalities linked to the military regime.
Source: Observadora
