Four democracy activists were executed by Myanmar's military in what is believed to be the country's first use of the death penalty in decades. The four, who included activist Ko Jimmy and lawmaker Phyo Zeya Thaw, were charged with "terror acts." They were sentenced to death in a closed-door trial that human rights groups called unjust.
The accused were Ko Jimmy, 53, a veteran of the 88 Generation Students Group, and his wife, Nilar Thein. Phyo Zeya Thaw, 41, was a former hip-hop star turned NLD lawmaker.
Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw.
A source told the BBC's Burmese Service that pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was devastated by the news. According to the source, Ms. Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), made no comments. Following an army-led coup in February 2021, she was arrested.
The executions in Myanmar, also known as Burma, were condemned by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
"Such reprehensible acts of violence and repression cannot be tolerated. We remain committed to the people of Burma and their efforts to restore Burma's path to democracy," he tweeted.
Families of the deceased met on Monday at Insein jail in a desperate attempt to learn more about their loved ones.
The mother of Zayar Thaw claims that she was not informed of the time of her son's execution and that this prevented her from making appropriate customary funeral arrangements.
"When we met on Zoom last Friday, my son was healthy and smiling. He asked me to send his reading glasses, dictionary, and some money to use in prison, so I brought those things to the prison today," Khin Win May told the BBC's Burmese Service. "That's why I didn't think they would kill him. I didn't believe it."
Each family has requested information about the executions through an application.
The four men were executed, according to Myanmar's official news site Global News Light, because they "gave directives, made arrangements and committed conspiracies for brutal and inhumane terror acts".
It stated that they had been accused of breaking anti-terrorism legislation, but it did not specify when or how they were put to death.
According to the United Nations, these executions are the first since 1988. Hanging has formerly been the method of death in Myanmar.
The military took over the government in 2021, which led to large-scale protests and a military crackdown on journalists, activists, and supporters of democracy.
Human rights organizations and opposition groups reacted angrily to the news of the murder.
