Myanmar’s military regime has said that appeals by two prominent democracy activists against their death sentences have been rejected, paving the way for the country’s first executions in decades.
Veteran democracy activist Kyaw Min Yu and Phyo Zeya Thaw, a lawmaker for the National League for Democracy, which the generals removed from power in a coup in February 2021, were sentenced to death by a military tribunal in January on charges of treason and terrorism, according to a military statement at the time.
Though the military has sentenced dozens of anti-coup activists to death as part of its crackdown on dissent after seizing power last year, Myanmar has not carried out an execution for decades.
Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said the decision to “move towards executing two prominent political leaders will be like pouring gasoline on the fire of popular anti-military resistance in the country.”
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