Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun, has revealed that the military junta’s courts are secretly issuing death sentences within minutes, while prisoners are being subjected to electric shocks and sexual violence. These statements were made during an open discussion on ‘Addressing Challenges in Global Prisons’ at the UN General Assembly plenary session on June 13. The ambassador emphasized that under successive military dictatorships in Myanmar, arbitrary detention and torture have long undermined the rule of law, with oppression reaching alarming levels since the military’s attempted coup in February 2021.
The ambassador reported that approximately 160 pro-democracy supporters were sentenced to death in 2023 alone. In 2022, political prisoners including Ko Phyo Zeya Thaw, Ko Kyaw Min Yu (aka Jimmy), Ko Hla Myo Aung, and Ko Aung Thura Zaw were executed following closed-door trials. The military regime continues to use electric shocks, beatings, suffocation techniques, and sexual violence against both male and female prisoners, while also restricting access to healthcare. Currently, over 29,000 people, including students, doctors, journalists, elected parliamentarians, and children, have been arrested for their political stance in Myanmar. The majority of these arrests are arbitrary, with many being detained for extortion purposes by the military.
Of those arrested, more than 22,000 remain in detention and have been sentenced to prison terms. However, none of these detainees have ever received a fair trial. Ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun called for unrestricted access to Myanmar’s prisons for the UN and ICRC, emphasizing the importance of understanding the true conditions faced by prisoners. He stressed that regardless of the reason for arrest, all prisoners should have the right to fair trials in court, and families should have the right to know about their detained relatives’ conditions and maintain contact with them.
The ambassador urged the international community to demand the immediate release of all political prisoners held by the military and to impose targeted sanctions against the military regime. He highlighted that the military junta’s violations of domestic rule of law and war crimes against civilians have forced not only prisoners but the entire population to face displacement issues and humanitarian crises. Meanwhile, the military continues to enjoy impunity while blatantly violating international law, international humanitarian law, and international human rights law. The ambassador emphasized that the military junta remains the sole perpetrator of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and must be held accountable for their actions. He concluded by calling on the international community to support their efforts to end the military dictatorship and the illegal attempted coup.
