CNI News

26 July 2022

On 25th July, prison authorities confirmed that four prisoners including democracy activists Ko Phyo Zeyar Thaw and Ko Jimmy were executed but refused to return their bodies to their families, according to close friends of the families.

Ko Phyo Zeyar Thaw, Ko Jimmy, Ko Hla Myo Aung and Ko Aung Thuya Zaw were sentenced to death on 21 January 2022.

25th July issues of SAC information ministry newspapers including the Kyemon and the Myanma Alin reported that the inmates had been executed in accordance with rules and regulations.

The executions were confirmed by a deputy superintendent on 25th July, a close friend of the families of the executed inmates told the CNI.

He said, “A deputy superintendent has just met the families and confirmed that they were executed. Funeral rites like offering meals to monks should be done by guessing the day on which they were executed as he was not allowed to tell the time of execution exactly. It is inappropriate for Buddhists to do so. He also refused to give their bodies to their families,”

A politician said inmates cannot be executed ahead of other inmates who were sentenced to death earlier than them and must officially inform their families of the date, time and place of their executions and return their bodies to their families.

According to the Jail Manual,their bodies are left at the noose about 30 minutes after execution and their bodies can be buried after their families refuse to retrieve them. If there are no sound reasons to refuse to give bodies back to families, they must be carried to the prison gate and returned to their families.

The four were democracy activists in the spring revolution.

They were detained in October and November, 2021 and sentenced to death.