<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Four democracy activists have been executed by Myanmar's military in what is believed to be the first use of capital punishment in decades.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Former lawmaker Phyo Zeya Thaw, writer and activist Ko Jimmy, Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zawor were accused of committing "terror acts".</div><div><br></div><div>The executions, which were first announced by the military in June, drew international condemnation.</div><div><br></div><div>They come in the wake of a 2021 military coup.</div><div><br></div><div>The junta overthrew the democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) in February last year, sparking huge protests which were swiftly crushed.</div><div><br></div><div>The National Unity Government of Myanmar - a coalition comprising pro-democracy figures, representatives of armed ethnic groups and members of the NLD - condemned the killings, saying they were "extremely shocked and saddened".</div><div><br></div><div>It went on to urge the international community to "punish (the) murderous military junta for their cruelty and killings".</div><div><br></div><div>The state news outlet - Global News Light of Myanmar - said the four men were executed as they "gave directives, made arrangements and committed conspiracies for brutal and inhumane terror acts".</div><div><br></div><div>It said they had been charged under the Counter Terrorism Law, but did not say when or how they were executed.</div><div><br></div><div>Ko Jimmy, 53, was a veteran of the 88 Generation Students Group - a Burmese pro-democracy movement known for their activism against the country's military junta in the 1988 student uprisings. He served multiple stints in prison for his involvement in the pro-democracy movement, before being released in 2012.</div><div><br></div><div>He was arrested in October last year after being accused of hiding weapons and ammunition at an apartment in Yangon and being an "advisor" to the National Unity Government.</div><div><br></div><div>Phyo Zeya Thaw, 41, was a former NLD lawmaker and a close ally of Suu Kyi.</div><div><br></div><div>A hip-hop artist, he often drew the ire of the junta for his anti-military lyrics. He was arrested in November for alleged anti-terror offences.</div><div><br></div><div>The two others - Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw - were sentenced to death for killing a woman was an alleged informer for the junta.</div><div><br></div><div>United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had called the military's decision to sentence the four activists to death "a blatant violation to the right to life, liberty and security of person".</div><div><br></div><div>Military authorities have intensified their crackdown on local militias, opposition activists and those deemed to be harbouring anti-coup sentiments since they seized power last year.</div><div><br></div><div>They claimed the results of a general election that saw Suu Kyi's political party winning by a landslide were rigged.</div><div><br></div><div>Since then, Suu Kyi has been detained under house arrest, and slapped with a litany of charges ranging from corruption to violating the country's official secrets act, which could see her serving a sentence of up to 150 years.</div><div><br></div><div>The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), which keeps a toll of those killed, jailed or detained by the military, says that 14,847 people have been arrested since the coup, with an estimated 2114 having been killed by military forces. -bbc</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/TR</div>