Myanmar’s junta has stated that it will execute a former lawmaker from Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, a prominent democracy activist and two civil society members in the country’s first judicial executions in the last few decades.
A military panel sentenced four people, including former National League for Democracy (NLD) Member of Parliament Phyo Zeya Thaw and democracy activist Kyaw Min Yu, better known as Ko Jimmy, for alleged “terrorism” while Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw are the other two who faced death sentenced earlier.
The four men did not receive a fair trial. “First of all, it’s not a fair trial because they lost their legal rights to defend at the military tribunal. They also lost their rights to legal counsel during the appeal process,” said Min Lwin Oo, a Myanmar legal expert based in Norway, adding that “Normally, the appeals process for death sentence takes up to three to five years through different courts and takes at least four to five years to go through state leaders. But such a fast-track process is unprecedented.”
“Two other men, who were convicted and sentenced to death for killing a woman they alleged was an informer for the junta in Yangon, will also be executed”, said Zaw Min Tun, adding that no date had been set for the executions.
If the executions go ahead, Phyo Zeya Thaw, Ko Jimmy, Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw will be the first political dissidents to be executed in the country in the last few decades.
Since last year’s coup, the military regime has handed down death sentences to 113 people for their roles in the armed resistance to the junta, according to VOA’s Burmese Service, but none of these sentences have been carried out.
The junta’s decision to “move towards executing two prominent political leaders will be like pouring gasoline on the fire of popular anti-military resistance in the country,” said Phil Robertson, a deputy director of U.S.-based Human Rights Watch.
At the United Nations on Friday, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said: “We are deeply troubled by the Myanmar military’s decision to proceed with the execution of two pro-democracy activists after they received death sentences. This is a blatant violation of the right to life, liberty, and security of person as per Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
The junta accused Phyo Zeya Thaw of orchestrating several attacks on regime forces, including a gun attack on a commuter train in Yangon in August that killed five police officers.
A hip-hop pioneer whose subversive rhymes irked the previous junta, he was jailed in 2008 for founding an anti-junta youth activist organization and his leading role in Saffron Revolution, an anti- junta movement led by Buddhist monks. He was elected to parliament in the 2015 elections, which ushered in a transition to civilian rule.
Ko Jimmy, who rose to prominence during Myanmar’s 1988 student uprising against the country’s previous military regime, was arrested in October 2021. The arrest was based on an arrest warrant alleging he had incited unrest with his social media posts.
Nearly 16 months after the military launched its nationwide campaign of violence and terror in an attempt to illegally seize power, the military has killed over 2,000 people, including women and children and detained over 12,000.
Having so far failed to impose its rule over the territory and population, the military continues to intensify its cruel and brutal attacks against the people of Myanmar with indiscriminate airstrikes, shelling, massacres, burning down of villages, torture, and sexual and gender-based violence. In addition, the military continues to manipulate for military gain, impede or block humanitarian aid to over 880,000 displaced people across the country while attacking medical facilities and medical and humanitarian workers.
Despite the brutal violence, the Myanmar people have continued to resist the military, steadfastly demonstrating their courageous will and defense of their democracy.
Over 400,000 civil servants who have joined the Civil Disobedience Movement refuse to work under the military, while others carry out general strikes and street protests. Boycott of military products and refusal to pay electricity bills continues and self-defense forces and formation of new autonomous local administrations alongside the existing parallel administrations in ethnic areas mar the military’s desperate attempts to assert administrative and territorial control.
We, the following organizations and world citizens condemn the order of execution and call for Phyo Zeya Thaw, Ko Jimmy, Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw be given JUSTICE and respect before the law. We also call for the immediate release of all political prisoners, end of violence and for establishment of GENUINE PEACE and FEDERAL DEMOCRACY in Myanmar.
- Action Against Myanmar Military Coup (Sydney)
- Action Committee for Democracy Development (ACDD)
- Ah Nah Podcast- Conversation with Myanmar
- All Burma Democratic Face in New Zealand
- All Burma Student Democratic Front – Australia Branch
- All Young Burmese League (AYBL)
- Alliance for FREE Burma Solidarity
- Alternative Solutions for Rural Communities (ASORCOM)
- ALTSEAN-Burma
- Anti-Myanmar Dictatorship Movement
- Anti-Myanmar Military Dictatorship Network (AMMDN)
- Asia Pacific Solidarity Coalition
- Asian Cultural Forum on Development (ACFOD)
- Assistance Association for Political Prisoners
- Association of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters
- Athan – Freedom of Expression Activist Organization
- Auckland Kachin Community (New Zealand)
- Auckland Zomi Community (New Zealand)
- Australia Burma Friendship Association, Northern Territory
- Australia Karen Organization WA Inc.
- Australia Myanmar Doctors, Nurses and Friends
- Australia Myanmar Institute (AMI)
- Australia Myanmar Youth Alliance (AMYA)
- Australian Burmese Muslim Organisation
- Australian Chin Community (Eastern Melbourne Inc)
- Australian Karen Organisation (AKO)
- Bamar Community Tasmania
- Blood Money Campaign
- Burma Action Ireland
- Burma Campaign UK
- Burma Human Rights Network
- Burma Lawyers’ Council (BLC)
- Burman Suomalaiset (Finland)
- Burmese Community
- Burmese Community Development Collaboration (BCDC)
- Burmese Community Group (Manawatu, NZ)
- Burmese Community Support Group (BCSG)
- Burmese Friendship Association
- Burmese Medical Association Australia (BMAA)
- Burmese Rohingya Welfare Organisation – New Zealand
- Burmese Women’s Union
- Campaign for Popular Democracy (CPD), Thailand
- Canberra Karen Association
- Central European Institute of Asian Studies
- Chin Community of Western Australia Inc.
- Chin Community of Auckland
- Chin Community SA
- Chin Community Tasmania
- Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO)
- Chin Youth Organization
- Community Resource Center (CRC)
- Cross Cultural Foundation (CrCF)
- CRPH & NUG Supporters Ireland
- CRPH Funding Ireland
- CRPH Support Group, Norway
- CRPH/NUG Support Group Australia
- Democracy for Burma
- Democracy for Myanmar – Working Group (NZ)
- Democracy, Peace and Women’s Organization
- Educational Initiatives
- Equality Myanmar
- ETOs Watch Coalition (ETO = Extra Territorial Obligations)
- European Karen Network (EKN)
- Falam Community
- Federal Myanmar Benevolence Group (NZ)
- FEDEVI Argentina
- Future Light Center
- Future Thanlwin
- German Solidarity with Myanmar Democracy eV
- Global Myanmar Spring Revolution
- Grass-root People
- Human Rights Alert, Manipur
- Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF)
- Human Rights Educators Network
- Human Rights Foundation of Monland
- Human Rights Lawyers Association (HRLA)
- Industrial Training Centre (ITC) Family Sydney
- Info Birmanie
- Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID)
- Interfaith Youth Coalition on Aids in Myanmar (IYCA-Myanmar)
- International Alliance of Inhabitants, Tunisia
- Isaan Land Reform Network (ILRN)
- Joint Action Committee for Democracy in Burma (JACDB)
- Justice 4 Myanmar – Hope & Development
- Justice For Myanmar
- Kachin Association Australia
- Kachin Association of Australia WA Inc.
- Karen Community
- Karen Human Rights Group
- Karen Swedish Community (KSC)
- Karen Women’s Organization
- Karenni Civil Society Network
- Karenni Federation of Australia
- Karenni National Women’s Organization
- Karenni/Kayah Community
- Karenni Society New Zealand
- Kayan Internally Displacement Supervising Committee (KIDSC)
- Kayan Women’s Organization
- Kayin Community Tasmania
- Keng Tung Youth
- Korea Democracy Foundation
- Let’s Help Each Other
- Loka Ahlinn
- Matu Chin Community
- Mekong Butterfly
- Metta Campaign Mandalay
- Mindat Chin Community NSW
- Mindat Community
- Mizo Community
- Mon Families Group
- Mon National Council
- Montfort Social Institute
- Muslim Youth Network
- Myanmar Buddhist Community of South Australia
- Myanmar Community Coffs Harbour (MCC)
- Myanmar Democracy and Peace Committee (Australia)
- Myanmar Democratic Force in Denmark
- Myanmar Democratic Movement (MDM)
- Myanmar Diaspora Group (Finland)
- Myanmar Engineers – New Zealand
- Myanmar Engineering Association of Australia (MEAA)
- Myanmar Gonye (New Zealand)
- Myanmar People Alliance (Shan State)
- Myanmar People from Ireland
- Myanmar People Residing in Canberra
- Myanmar Professionals Association Australia (MPAA)
- Myanmar Students’ Association Australia (MSAA)
- Myanmar Students’ Union in New Zealand
- Netherlands – Myanmar Solidarity Platform
- Network for Human Rights Documentation Burma (ND-Burma)
- New Zealand Doctors for NUG
- New Zealand Karen Association
- New Zealand Zo Community Inc.
- NLD Solidarity Association (Australia)
- Non-binary Thailand
- Olive Organization
- Overseas Mon Association. New Zealand
- Peace and Culture Foundation
- Peace and Human Rights Resource Center (PHRC)
- Pa-O Women’s Union
- Perth Myanmar Youth Network
- Progressive Voice
- Pro Rights Foundation
- Patriotic War Veterans of Burma (PWVB)
- Pridi Banomyong Institute
- Pyithu Gonye (New Zealand)
- Queensland Kachin Community (QKC)
- Queensland Myanmar Youth Collective (QMYC)
- Queensland Rohingya Community
- Red Campaign Nirvana Exhortation Group
- Remonya Association of WA (Mon Community)
- EUMPUN Tjoet Njak Dien Yogyakaya – Indonesia
- Rvwang Community Association New Zealand
- Save and Care Organization for Ethnic Women at Border Areas
- Save Myanmar Fundraising Group (New Zealand)
- SEA Junction
- Shan Community (New Zealand)
- Shan MATA
- Shape-sea
- Shwe Youth Democratic Alliance (SYDA)
- Sitt Nyein Pann Foundation
- Southcare Medical Centre
- Southern Youth Development Organization
- Spirit in Education Movement (SEM)
- Support for Myanmar
- Swedish Burma Committee
- Sydney Friends for Myanmar Unity
- Synergy – Social Harmony Organization
- Ta’ang Legal Aid
- Tanintharyi MATA
- Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma (TACDB)
- Thai Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism
- The Civil Coalition for Human Rights
- The Institution of Professional Engineers Myanmar
- The Rotary Peace Center at Chulalongkorn University
- The Tunisia Human Rights League (THRL)
- Thint Myat Lo Thu Myar Organization
- Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA
- Union for Civil Liberty (UCL)
- United Myanmar Community of South Australia
- Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Victoria and Tasmania
- US Campaign for Burma (USCB)
- Victorian Burmese Care Community (VBCC)
- Victorian Myanmar Youth
- We Fair
- WeMove
- We Pledge CDM (Australia)
- Western Australia Myanmar Democratic Network
- Women Activists Myanmar (WAM)
- Women Alliance Burma
- Women Peace Network
- Women’s League of Burma
- Yadanar Foundation
- Zo Community
- Zomi Association Australia Inc.
- Zomi Community Queensland
- Zomi Community South Australia
- Young People for Social Democracy Movement (YPD), Thailand
- 8888 Generation (New Zealand)
…
6 June 2022
Contact person:
Dr. Laddawan Tantivitayapitak <[email protected]>
Boonthan T. Verawongse <[email protected]>
or <[email protected]>
Download the statement in English and Thai languages.