Special rapporteurs Thomas Andrews and Morris Tidball-Binz, are concerned that the development could signal the start of a series of executions in a country that has not implemented the death penalty in more than 30 years. .
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“These death sentences, handed down by an illegal court against an illegal soldier, are a vile attempt to instill fear in the people of Myanmar.”
According to experts, the military took power in Myanmar in February 2021. Since then, at least 114 people have been sentenced to death, of which 41 are absent, according to experts.
Opponents are persecuted
Last week, the government announced it would execute four people whose appeals were rejected after closed-door hearings.
They include former lawmaker Phyo Zeya Thaw and veteran activist Kyaw Min Yu, known as Ko Jimmy, who was sentenced to death by a military court in January for treason and terrorism.
Phyo Zeya Thaw is a former member of parliament of the National League for Democracy, the party of imprisoned leader Aung San Suu Kyi, ousted in a military coup. Ko Jimmy is a leader of the Generation 88 activist group that stood up against the former dictator Ne Win’s regime.
“The decision to execute activists announced by the government shows how the military seeks to use all the apparatus of the State to suppress those who oppose the attempt to return Myanmar to a military dictatorship. ,” said UN experts.
Call to action
Faced with increasing human rights abuses, they appealed to the international community and countries serving at the UN Security Council in particular, to put greater pressure on the military.
“Do not impose severe costs on the military for attacks on fundamental rights, We should expect the increasing number of these death penalty claims from the military,” they said.
“The international community – mainly Member States and the Security Council – must demonstrate that these actions go unpunished and do more to target the military’s need for money, weapons and legitimacy.”
There is no resolution process
Under the Martial Law Order of March 2021, the death penalty can be imposed on 23 vague and widely defined crimes, most notably treason, which “in effect means any any criticism of the military,” UN experts said.
Four individuals were tried and convicted in military courts, and were found to have no access to legal advice in their rejected appeals, which violates international human rights law.
“In present-day Myanmar, the guarantee of a fair trial and due process simply does not exist. The military thumb is certainly based on the scale of justice and in these cases the imposition and execution of the death penalty is particularly bad,” they said.
Unsplash / Pyae Sone Htun
Young people take part in a pro-democracy rally in Myanmar.
Attacks on civilians continue
Not recognizing the legitimacy of the military, the Special Rapporteurs have called on military leaders to immediately and permanently cease the imposition of the death penalty and reduce all sentencing sentences. hitherto.
In the event that the death penalty has not been abolished, in no event can the death penalty be imposed as a punishment against the lawful exercise of human rights, they said. such as freedom of opinion and expression, assembly and association.
Experts recall that the imposition of the death penalty came with the illegal killing of civilians by the military, now estimated at nearly 2,000 deaths, including in massacres and suppression of protesters. and air strikes against civilian sites.
“The world must not keep an eye on the fact that these death sentences are being carried out amid the military killing of civilians almost every day in a systematic and widespread attack on the people of Myanmar, ” they say.
Role of the UN Rapporteur
Special rapporteurs and independent experts appointed by the United Nations Dong Nhan Quyen Association to monitor and report on country-specific situations or topical issues.
Mr. Andrews is the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, while Mr. Tidball-Binz is the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial briefs or arbitrary executions.
They are not employees of the United Nations and they are not paid for their work.
UN calls for WHO driver murder investigation
And in another development involving the United Nations in Myanmar, Secretary General António Guterres called for a full and transparent investigation into the murder of a motorist this week with the World Health Organization (WHO) in the country, his spokesman said Friday.
Myo Min Htut was shot dead while riding his own motorbike, around 5 p.m. Wednesday. The incident happened in the town of Mawlamyine, Mon state, located in the south of the country.
“The Secretary-General sends his condolences to the bereaved and his constant concern for the safety and security of United Nations staff and all Myanmar people living and working in the regions. affected by conflict. He called for a full and transparent investigation into the incident and bringing the perpetrators to justice,” he said. speak United Nations spokesman Stéphane Dujarric.
In a tweet, WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was shocked and deeply saddened by the death of the staff member.
“My sincere condolences to his loved ones,” he wrote Thursday, calling for an investigation.
Myo Min Htut has worked with WHO for nearly 5 years.
According to the top UN humanitarian official in Myanmar, Ramanathan Balakrishnan, the exact circumstances surrounding his killing are still unclear.
Commitment to provide
“The United Nations calls on all parties and stakeholders to respect the neutrality of the United Nations and Humanitarianism, and calls on all parties to protect the rights and safety of civilians and strongly condemns acts of violence against civilians,” he said in a statement statement on Wednesday.
“In these difficult times, in the face of considerable hardship, the United Nations has remained in place and provided essential humanitarian and development assistance to the people of Myanmar.”
