YANGON – Myanmar’s junta on Friday sentenced a member of ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s party to death for terrorism-related offences, it said in a statement.
Phyo Zeyar Thaw, a member of the National League for Democracy arrested in November, “was sentenced to death today under the anti-terrorism law”, the junta said.
Prominent democracy activist Kyaw Min Yu – better known as “Jimmy” – received the same verdict from the military court, according to the junta’s statement.
The junta has sentenced dozens of anti-coup activists to death as part of its crackdown on dissent, but Myanmar has not carried out any executions for decades.
Phyo Zeyar Thaw – real name Maung Kyaw – was arrested at an apartment in Yangon’s shopping center after “a tip and cooperation from respectful citizens”, the junta’s intelligence team said.
He had been accused of orchestrating several attacks on regime forces, including the brazen shootout on a Yangon commuter train in August that killed five police officers.
In the 2015 elections that ushered in the transition to civilian rule, he was elected to parliament by Suu Kyi‘s National League for Democracy party.
The Southeast Asian country has been in turmoil since the coup sparked massive protests and a bloody military crackdown on dissidents who have killed more than 1,400 people, according to a local watchdog group.
- AFP
