Myanmar’s government has carried out death sentences for the first time in decades. Four political prisoners were executed, including a former MP and a democracy activist. They allegedly helped carry out “inhumane terrorist acts”.
This was reported by the state newspaper Global New Light of Myanmar on Monday. The four inmates were convicted in January and lost their appeal in June. They were hanged on Sunday morning, the German news agency reported. “These death sentences handed down by an illegal court of an illegal junta are a horrific attempt to frighten the people of Myanmar,” UN experts said. The four men include former MP and hip-hop artist Phyo Zeya Thaw, 41, and democracy activist Kyaw Min Yu, 53, aka Jimmy.
20 years in prison for campaigning for democracy
The activist has been fighting for more democratic rights since 1988 and has spent more than 20 years in prison in the past. Phyo Zeya Thaw started out as a hip-hop singer, then entered politics and became a close ally of Nobel laureate Suu Kyi. There are numerous lawsuits against her, which is why Suu Kyi has been in prison for a month. The political activists were found guilty of aiding in “inhumane terrorist acts”. Their death sentences are the first in the Southeast Asian country since 1990.
“The shocking speed with which the death sentences were carried out and the harshness with which they were carried out is compounded by the fact that the families – like all of us – learned of the deaths of their loved ones afterwards and only through the media,” said Manny Maung. from human rights organization Human Rights Watch. He called on the international community to take urgent action against the military government. Generals staged a coup in February 2021 and ousted Prime Minister Aung San Suu Kyi (77). Since then, chaos and violence in Myanmar has increased.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
