ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) has called for the immediate revocation of the death sentences imposed on five political prisoners in Myanmar. In a statement issued on September 19, APHR urged Myanmar’s military council to release the prisoners and adhere to international legal standards.
The five individuals, including a woman, are reportedly set to be executed on September 24. They were convicted under the Terrorism Act and the Weapons Act for their involvement in a shooting on the Yangon circular train. The Hlaing Township Court ordered their execution by hanging. Currently, they are being held on death row at Insein Prison.
Wong Chen, a member of the APHR board and a Malaysian MP, condemned the military council's use of severe punishments to silence dissent, describing it as "unacceptable and extreme." He further criticized the lack of due process in these cases.
This call for clemency follows the July 2022 execution of four high-profile individuals, including 88 Generation student leader Kyaw Min Yu (alias Jimmy) and former National League for Democracy (NLD) MP Phyo Zeya Thaw, along with two other civilians, U Hla Myo Aung and U Aung Thura Zaw. These executions were the first carried out in Myanmar in more than 30 years, and the prisoners were reportedly denied legal representation and the right to defend themselves in court.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), nearly 200 people have been sentenced to death by the military council since the February 2021 coup. However, the military council has dismissed these figures as exaggerated.
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