Prominent political prisoners’ death penalty verdicts spotlight harsh post-coup sentencing for activism

By DMG 08 Jun 2022

DMG Newsroom
June 8 2022, Sittwe 

At least 209 people have been given life imprisonment or death sentences for their anti-regime activities since the coup last year, according to Institute for Strategy and Policy-Myanmar (ISP-Myanmar), a Myanmar-based political research institute. 

A total of 117 people were given death sentences either in person or in absentia, 86 detainees were given life imprisonment and six detainees were given both death sentence and life imprisonment, according to a report from ISP-Myanmar released on Tuesday. 

At the press conference on June 1, regime spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun confirmed orders to execute four individuals including the 88 Generation student leader and democracy activist Ko Jimmy aka Kyaw Min Thu, and former National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmaker U Phyo Zeya Thaw. 

The two other men, U Hla Myo Aung and U Aung Thura Zaw, were earlier sentenced to death for killing a woman who was an alleged military informant. 

The regime’s decision to execute the four has drawn ire and condemnation both locally and internationally. 

Political activist Ko Ye said execution orders are not acceptable because even the previous regimes did not carry out death sentences. 

“Death sentences were given under the previous regimes. But death sentences were always commuted to life imprisonment after appeal, and life imprisonment was also reduced in amnesties. There was only one student leader [Salai Tin Maung Oo] who was hanged after being given the death sentence. I think the regime has threatened with execution orders because of pressures from the international community,” he said. 

Of the 209 individuals, 202 of them are from Yangon, and the rest are from Ayeyarwady Region, according to the ISP-Myanmar. 

Yangon’s North Okkalapa Township has seen the largest number of harsh sentences with 52 individuals being sentenced to death, and 12 others to life imprisonment. North Okkalapa was followed by Hlaing Tharyar with 17 individuals being sentenced to death, 30 to life imprisonment, and three others were given both death sentence and life imprisonment. 

Two males under the age of 18 are among those arrested and given death sentences. Children’s rights activists have called on the international community to put greater pressure on the regime. 

“Teenagers younger than 18 were among those given death sentences. This violates the Child Rights Law. The trial process is meaningless. The international community needs to put greater pressures on the regime,” said child rights activist Ko Min. 

The United Nations and several Western embassies including the French and US diplomatic missions in Yangon condemned the execution orders and called for the release of those unfairly detained.