KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Parliamentary Select Committee for International Affairs condemns the Myanmar military junta's execution of four pro-democracy activists, including lawmaker U Phyo Zeya Thaw.
The committee said this kind of "travesty" must be condemned by Asean as a threat to democracy, freedom, and justice.
"The execution of four democracy fighters because of political differences, particularly voices of dissent, show how far an illegitimate government with unchecked powers and scrutiny will go to permanently silence these brave voices of conscience," the committee said in a statement Tuesday (July 26).
The committee said it stands in solidarity with democratically elected MPs under the "regime of tyranny", adding that it expresses its heartfelt sympathies to the families of the democracy fighters.
"As lawmakers, we cannot rest on our laurels to call out these acts of injustice and for the international community, including the United Nations, to urgently act on Myanmar’s military junta.
"We also call for the release of all political prisoners including journalists and activists immediately and unconditionally," he said.
The death penalty, they said, was used as a tool for revenge to punish those who dared to speak up and to go against the Myanmar military junta. The committee called on those who believed in Parliamentary democracy to condemn it. The committee also called for peace in Myanmar.
It added that Asean’s non-interference policy must not be regarded as an enabler for countries to do as they please, violating the charters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Phyo was an Opposition lawmaker from Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy while the three others who were executed were U Kyaw Min Yu, U Hla Myo Aung and U Aung Thura Zaw.
