The United League of Arakan / Arakan Army has condemned the Myanmar military council's execution of four persons including two pro-democracy activists.
In a Burmese language statement, issued today, the organisation asserted that the news has shocked the entire Myanmar people.
The military council executed four prisoners including a former lawmaker (U Phyo Zoya Thaw alais Maung Kyaw of NLD led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi) and a prominent activist (U Kyaw Min Yu alias Jimmy), stated the junta media on Monday.
"The execution of four prisoners shocked not only the ULA/AA, but the entire people of Myanmar. We are deeply saddened along with the families and relatives of those, who were sentenced to death, and the entire population. We express our concern for the peace of Myanmar,” said the ULA/AA statement.
If the execution is real, the military council has simply destroyed the good will for a peaceful solution. The military rulers were supposed to encourage the initiative to resolve conflicts peacefully going along neighboring countries and also ASEAN countries, added the statement.
Despite the pleas of a number of diplomats and responsible international community members ‘not to sentence the death penalty’, the military council follows its foolish policy that provokes the entire population.
Besides the two political prisoners, U Hla Myo Aung alais Ko Myo and U Aung Thura Zaw alias Tura were also executed by the military council.
The AA expressed hope that more future heroes would be born to sacrifice their lives for the cause of Myanmar.
The junta has sentenced dozens of anti-coup activists to death as part of its crackdown after seizing power on 1 February 2021, but it was the first incident of execution in Myanmar after decades. Moreover, it is the first capital punishment implemented by the present military regime.
According to the Human Rights Watch, the executions were an ‘act of utter cruelty’.
Amnesty International also condemned the execution saying that it was an ‘atrocious escalation in State repression.
Even though the junta faced severe criticism from international organizations in the last few weeks, it insisted that the executions would go accordingly.
United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres, while condemning the junta's decision, termed it ‘a blatant violation to the right to life, liberty and security of person’.
