Sad! Myanmar's Military Regime Doesn't Allow Body Of Activist Sentenced To Death To Be Taken, Family Won't Hold Funeral

Illustration of Myanmar's military anti-coup demonstration. (Wikimedia Commons/MgHla (aka) Htin Linn Aye)

JAKARTA - The Myanmar military regime apparently did not allow the families to meet face-to-face with democracy activists who were sentenced to death, and said they did not allow their families to take their bodies.

Four Myanmar democracy activists were sentenced to death in secret trials in January and April. They are accused of aiding the civil resistance movement which has been battling the military since last year's coup and a bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.

Among those executed were democracy campaigner Kyaw Min Yu, better known as Jimmy, and former lawmaker and hip-hop artist Phyo Zeya Thaw, an ally of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The other two people executed were Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw.

State media said "the sentencing has been carried out", but did not say when, or by what method. Previous executions in Myanmar were carried out by hanging.

Families of those executed were not given the opportunity to take the bodies of their loved ones, said Thazin Nyunt Aung, Phyo Zeyar Thaw's wife, comparing her to murderers who cover up their crimes.

"It's killing and hiding bodies," he told Reuters, as quoted July 26. "They have no respect for the Myanmar people and the international community."

Meanwhile, Nilar Thein, Kyaw Min Yu's wife, said she would not hold a funeral without a body.

"We all need to be brave, determined and strong," he wrote on Facebook.

The men are being held at Yangon's Insein prison, where the family visited last Friday, according to a person familiar with the incident. However, prison officials only allowed one relative to talk to the detainees via video call.

"I then asked 'why didn't you tell me or my son that it was our last meeting?'" Khin Win May, mother of Phyo Zeyar Thaw, told BBC Burma.

Meanwhile, the military regime made no mention of the execution in its evening television news bulletin on Monday.

Reported earlier, Myanmar military regime spokesman Zaw Min Tun said the executions were not private, but carried out under the law and the people were given the opportunity to defend themselves.

He said the military government knew the execution, the first in decades in Myanmar, would draw criticism from various quarters.

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