Ex-lawmaker from Suu Kyi’s ousted political party sentenced to death
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Phyo Zeyar Thaw, a member of the National League for Democracy who was arrested in November, has been 'sentenced to the death penalty today under anti-terrorism act'
A former lawmaker from Aung San Suu Kyi’s ousted political party was sentenced to death for terror-related offences, Myanmar's junta said in a statement on Friday.
Phyo Zeyar Thaw, a member of the National League for Democracy who was arrested in November, has been "sentenced to the death penalty today under anti-terrorism act", the junta said.
Prominent democracy activist Kyaw Min Yu – also known as “Jimmy” —received the same sentence from the military tribunal, the junta statement said.
Phyo Zeyar Thaw - whose real name is Maung Kyaw - was arrested at an apartment in the commercial hub Yangon following a "tip-off and cooperation from dutiful citizens", the junta's information team said.
He had been accused of orchestrating several attacks on regime forces, including the brazen shooting on a commuter train in Yangon in August that killed five policemen.
Thaw was elected to Parliament from Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party in the 2015 elections that ushered in a transition to civilian rule, although short-lived.
Since taking power, the junta has sentenced dozens of anti-coup activists to death as part of its crackdown on dissent, but Myanmar has not carried out an execution for decades, reports AFP.
The Southeast Asian country has been in turmoil since the coup sparked massive protests and a bloody military crackdown on dissent, which has killed more than 1,400 people according to a local monitoring group.
Suu Kyi had been in dentition since February last year when her government was forced out in an early morning coup.
On January 10, the Nobel laureate was charged in three criminal charges, sentencing her to four years in prison.
The 76-year-old was found guilty of two charges related to illegally importing and owning walkie-talkies and one of breaking coronavirus rules.
(With inputs from agencies)