Myanmar junta has sentenced at least 64 people to death since coup

Bangkok, Jun 27 (EFE).- At least 64 people, including minors, have been sentenced to death by Myanmar’s military authorities since the coup on February 1, the opposition National Unity government said on Sunday.

The convicts had no attorneys during the trials held at military courts, said the dissident government, which is composed of pro-democracy politicians and activists.

“Death penalty is not only being (practiced) in Myanmar but also legal rights are not respected,” Aung Myo Min, Minister of Human Rights of the parallel government wrote on his Twitter account.

 “Sentences are made without the right to defence and without legal representation in Myanmar,” he added.

Although the capital penalty is included in the Constitution, Myanmar has not executed any death row inmate since 1998.

 At least 873 people have been killed as a result of a brutal crackdown by security forces, according to figures from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners monitoring group.

Tired of the little progress made by the peaceful demonstrations, some protesters have formed militias or joined armed ethnic groups in the country to put up armed resistance to the military, while clashes between the armed forces and ethnic guerrillas – who demand greater autonomy for their regions – have intensified in several areas across Myanmar since the coup.

The military has justified the coup alleging fraud in elections held in November, in which ousted leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi’s party repeated its resounding victory of 2015, with international observers giving a clean chit to the polls. EFE

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