Blinken condemns Myanmar junta's execution of 4 activists

Washington [US], July 25 : US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday condemned the Myanmar military regime's execution of four pro-democracy activists and elected leaders.
"The United States condemns in the strongest terms the Burma military regime's executions of pro-democracy activists and elected leaders Ko Jimmy, Phyo Zeya Thaw, Hla Myo Aung, and Aung Thura Zaw for the exercise of their fundamental freedoms," Blinken said in a statement.
"These reprehensible acts of violence further exemplify the regime's complete disregard for human rights and the rule of law. Since the February 2021 coup, the regime has perpetuated violence against its own people, killing more than 2,100, displacing more than 700,000, and detaining thousands of innocent people, including members of civil society and journalists," he added.
According to Blinken, the regime's sham trials and these executions are blatant attempts to extinguish democracy; these actions will never suppress the spirit of the brave people of Myanmar.
"The United States joins the people of Burma in their pursuit of freedom and democracy and calls on the regime to respect the democratic aspirations of the people who have shown they do not want to live one more day under the tyranny of military rule," he added.
Myanmar's military junta Monday reported the execution of four men in the country's first death sentences carried out in over three decades.
According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the men put to death were Phyo Zeya Thaw, 41; Kyaw Min Yu, known as "Ko Jimmy," 53; Hla Myo Aung; and Aung Thura Zaw, all of whom were convicted after closed trials that fell far short of international standards.
Earlier, a military tribunal sentenced Ko Jimmy and Phyo Zeya Thaw to death on January 21 under Myanmar's overbroad Counterterrorism Law of 2014, the group said. Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw were convicted in April 2021 for allegedly killing a military informant.
"The Myanmar junta's execution of four men was an act of utter cruelty," said Elaine Pearson, acting Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "These executions, including of activist Ko Jimmy and opposition lawmaker Phyo Zeya Thaw, followed grossly unjust and politically motivated military trials. This horrific news was compounded by the junta's failure to notify the men's families, who learned about the executions through the junta's media reports.
The volatile situation in Myanmar following the February 1, 2021 coup has increased armed conflict and subsequent population displacement within and across borders, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The security situation continues to deteriorate in Southeast Myanmar with the intensification of armed clashes reported between the Tatmadaw and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) or People's Defence Force (PDF) in several areas. The Military continues to deploy security forces and has increased the use of heavy artillery.
As of June 30, the total number of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Myanmar displaced since February 1, is 758,500, of whom 244,500 are in the southeast provinces - Kayah, Shan, Kayin, Mon States, and Tanintharyi and Bago regions. In Kayah State, more than 4,000 people were able to return to Loikaw and Demoso Townships.
The security situation in Demoso Township continues to be unstable, with more than 2,000 people unable to return to their places of origin.