UN investigators monitoring reports of planned executions in Myanmar

The head of a United Nations investigative body announced that it is closely monitoring reports of the Myanmar military junta’s plans to execute death row prisoners at Yangon’s Insein Prison.In a statement released on Monday, Nicholas Koumjian, head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), indicated that information received suggested “executions may be imminent for several individuals” sentenced to death in 2023.While he did not disclose the names of the individuals, media reports have identified them as alleged perpetrators of a deadly police attack on a train in Yangon in August 2021. Kaung Pyae Sone Oo, Zeyar Phyo, Kyaw Soe Lin, San Lin Maung, and Myat Phyo Pwint were sentenced to death on terrorism charges in connection with the case last year following a closed-door trial at Insein Prison.Koumjian emphasised that imposing death sentences without adhering to fundamental fair trial standards could amount to crimes against humanity or war crimes. “The [IIMM] is monitoring and collecting information on the cases against these individuals and others that involve the imposition of the death penalty in circumstances that might violate fundamental fair trial guarantees,” he said.Established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2018, the IIMM is tasked with collecting and analysing evidence of serious international crimes committed in Myanmar since 2011.On the same day, the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights issued a statement regarding reports that the regime had executed two others earlier that day. According to the statement, a married couple, Kaung Htet and Chan Myae Thu, were executed at 4am on September 23 for their alleged involvement in a bombing incident at Insein Prison in October 2022. However, it remains unconfirmed whether these executions took place. Thike Tun Oo, spokesperson for the Political Prisoners Network—Myanmar, noted that prison sources had not reported any hangings.He also mentioned that the five prisoners slated for execution are currently being held in a restricted area of Insein Prison, making them inaccessible to other inmates and most prison staff. When asked about the rumoured executions, junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun stated he had not heard anything about them. In July 2022, the junta executed 88 Generation leader Ko Jimmy and former MP Phyo Zeyar Thaw, along with two other activists, marking the end of a decades-long moratorium on carrying out the death penalty in Myanmar.

UN investigators monitoring reports of planned executions in Myanmar

The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar said it had received information regarding “imminent” executions at Insein Prison

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