Ko Jimmy, veteran democracy activist and leading member of 88 Generation Students Group (left) and Ko Phyo Zeya Thaw, former NLD lawmaker (right).
Myanmar’s junta has approved execution orders for the death sentences handed down to former National League for Democracy lawmaker Ko Phyo Zeya Thaw and veteran democracy activist Ko Jimmy for their anti-regime activities.
A junta source familiar with the case said that the pair’s execution orders were approved very recently along with two others.
“The Prison Department will now decide when to proceed with the executions,” he added.
Ko Phyo Zeya Thaw is 40. Ko Jimmy, who is also known as Kyaw Min Yu, is 53 and a former leading member of the 88 Generation Student Group.
Both men were arrested late last year and given death sentences in January for masterminding armed resistance operations in Yangon.
Ma Nilar Thein, Ko Jimmy’s wife, is also a democracy activist and is currently in hiding.
If the executions go ahead, Ko Phyo Zeya Thaw and Ko Jimmy will be the first political dissidents to be executed since ethnic Chin student leader Salai Tin Maung Oo was hanged by dictator General Ne Win’s authoritarian regime at Yangon’s Insein Prison in 1976.
Since last year’s coup, the military regime has handed down death sentences to 113 people for their roles in the armed resistance to the junta.
