UN To US Urge Execution Of Two Myanmar Activists To Be Canceled, Military Regime: 50 Civilians Killed Because Of Them

Zaw Min Tun (right) with officials of the Myanmar military regime while giving a press statement. (Wikimedia Commons/VOA Burmese)

JAKARTA - Myanmar's ruling military on Thursday defended the planned execution of two prominent democracy figures as legitimate and necessary, defying international criticism for resuming the death penalty after a three-decade gap.

The United Nations, France, the United States (US) and international human rights groups have urged the junta not to follow up on the executions of activist Kyaw Min Yu and former lawmaker Phyo Zeya Thaw, who lost appeals on terrorism charges.

They were found guilty of providing weapons and helping to organize attacks by insurgents against state targets. It is not clear when they will be executed, or how they will plead in their trial, which is largely carried out in Myanmar behind closed doors.

Regarding this, the spokesman for the Myanmar military regime Zaw Min Tun said, there are many countries that use the death penalty.

"At least 50 innocent civilians, not including security forces, died because of them. How can you say this is not justice?," Zaw Min Tun said in a televised press conference.

"Necessary action needs to be taken at the time of need," he stressed.

The military regime has defied foreign anger over the executions, which UN experts said last week were decided without due process.

"This death sentence, handed down by the illegitimate court of the illegitimate junta, is a heinous attempt to instill fear among the Myanmar people," the experts said.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since a coup early last year, ending a decade of tentative democracy introduced after five decades of army rule.

Regarding the Myanmar Coup. VOI editors continue to unify the political situation in one of the ASEAN member countries. Civilian casualties continued to fall. Readers can follow news about the Myanmar military coup by tapping this link.