Myanmar Military Regime Executes Four Democratic Activists Despite Criticism By The United Nations And The United States

Illustration of Myanmar's military anti-coup demonstration. (Wikimedia Commons/VOA Burmese)

JAKARTA - The Myanmar regime has executed four democracy activists accused of helping carry out acts of terror, the country's first executions in decades, state media said on Monday.

Sentenced to death in January in closed-door trials, the four men are accused of helping militias to fight soldiers who seized power in last year's coup and launched a bloody crackdown on opponents.

The sentences drew international condemnation, with two UN experts calling them a "heinous attempt to instill fear" among people.

Among those executed were democracy leader Kyaw Min Yu, better known as Jimmy, and former lawmaker and hip-hop artist Phyo Zeya Thaw, the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said.

Kyaw Min Yu, 53, and Phyo Zeya Thaw, 41-year-old allies of ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, lost their appeal against sentencing in June. The other two people executed were Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw.

The four have been charged under the counter-terrorism and criminal code laws and the sentences were carried out in accordance with prison procedures, the newspaper said, without elaborating. Previous executions in Myanmar were carried out by hanging.

An activist group, the Association for the Assistance of Political Prisoners (AAPP), says Myanmar's last judicial executions took place in the late 1980s.

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

A military spokesman did not immediately respond to a phone call seeking comment.

Last month military spokesman Zaw Min Tun defended the death penalty, saying it was used in many countries.

"At least 50 innocent civilians, not including security forces, died because of them," he told a televised news conference.

"How can you say this isn't justice?" He asked. "Necessary action needs to be taken at the time of need."

Separately, Thazin Nyunt Aung, wife of Phyo Zeyar Thaw, said she had not been informed of her husband's execution. Other relatives could not immediately be reached for comment.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since last year's coup, with conflict spreading nationwide after the army crushed most peaceful protests in cities.

The AAPP says more than 2,100 people have been killed by security forces since the coup, but the junta says the figure is an exaggeration.

A true picture of the violence is difficult to judge as clashes have spread to more remote areas where ethnic minority rebel groups are also battling the military.

The latest executions close any chance of ending the unrest, said Myanmar analyst Richard Horsey, of the International CRISIS group.

"Every possibility of dialogue to end the crisis created by the coup has now been removed," Horsey told Reuters.

"This is a regime showing that it will do what it wants and not listen to anyone. It sees this as a demonstration of strength, but this may be a serious miscalculation."

Reported earlier, the United Nations (UN), 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.

Regarding the matter, Nicholas Koumjian, head of the United Nations Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, said he was following the case closely.

"The available information strongly indicates that under international law, the basic rights of convicted persons were flagrantly violated in this process," Koumjian said of the trial, which was closed to the public.

"Imposing a death sentence, or even a period of incarceration, based on a process that does not meet the basic requirements of a fair trial may constitute one or more crimes against humanity or war crimes," he added.

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