On Monday, Myanmar’s state media announced that four men had been executed. Four men were convicted of “brutal and inhuman acts of terrorism”, according to the military junta in Myanmar. Two of those executed are well-known faces in the democracy movement in Myanmar. Phyo Zeya Thaw (41), was a hip hop artist and sat in the National Assembly for the National League for Democracy, the party of former prime minister and peace prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi. Phyo Zeya Thaw was accused of planning several attacks against junta forces. He was arrested in a raid on his own home in November 2021. The well-known democracy activist Kyaw Min Yu (53), better known in Ko Jimmy, was also executed. – The shocking execution of Phyo Thaw, Ko Jimmy, Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw can be compared to war crimes and crimes against humanity, writes spokesman for Justice for Myanmar, Yadanar Maung, in an email to news. Both Phyo Zeya Thaw and Ko Jimmy are both known from the democracy movement in Myanmar. The men were sentenced to death in January 2022 and lost their appeals in June. Phyo Zeya Thaw had close ties to Myanmar’s former prime minister, Aung San Suu Kyi. Photo: AP First execution since 1988 Phyo Zeya Thaw has previously been in prison because of his song lyrics in 2008, according to Al Jazeera. He co-founded the pro-democracy organization Generation Wave. Ko Jimmy spent a total of 20 years in prison, due to his activism. He first became known through the student demonstrations in 1988. Ko Jimmy was arrested in October 2021. Kyaw Min Yu, better known as Ko Jimmy, after his release from prison in 2012. He was arrested several times in his life and was in prison for another 20 years together. Photo: AP They both had connections to the National League for Democracy party, the party of former prime minister and peace prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi. According to the UN, there have been no executions in Myanmar since 1988. The executions in Myanmar have been met with much criticism from the opposition and international organisations. Yadanar Maung believes the international community must increase pressure against the military junta. – The international community’s reaction should be to introduce targeted sanctions against the junta’s interests in response to these executions and the junta’s other international offences, says Yadanar Maung. The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has previously come out against the decision to execute the men. – It is a gross violation of the right to life, liberty and security. Deteriorating human rights situation After the coup d’état to the military junta last year, Myanmar’s democratic leader of the National League, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been in prison. Nearly 15,000 people have been arrested since the coup last year, and more than 2,000 people have been detained, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. The leader of the military junta, Min Aung Hlain, took power in Myanmar after he claimed Suu Kyi’s party had committed electoral fraud. A total of 114 people have been sentenced to death in Myanmar since the junta took power. – All the criminals from Min Aung Hlaing down must be held responsible for this act, writes Yadanar Maung.
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Hip hop artist and three other opposition figures executed in Myanmar – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
