Ma Nilar Thein, 50, told the Guardian she was heartbroken by the killing of her husband but that the public would "hold our hands together in unity". "We can't stop just because we're sad. And, we can't be mourning. We have to continue our journey by keeping in mind that we will have to eradicate this military regime," she said, referring to the junta that took power in a coup in February 2021.
Kyaw Min Yu, a writer and translator who spent more than 20 years in prison, was one of four prisoners killed in executions last week that horrified people across Myanmar and the world. They had been sentenced to death after closed trials in which they were accused of conspiring to commit terror acts.
Many in the international community had sought to stop the executions, said Ma Nilar Thein, who spoke from hiding, but she added that some wrongly believed the junta would not enact its threat. "The SAC [State Administration Council] didn't care about anything, and they are doing whatever they want," she said, referring to the junta's official title. "Now, the international community should learn that the SAC is not afraid of doing anything."
There are fears that the junta could execute dozens more people who have been sentenced to death since the military coup.
This story is from the August 05, 2022 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 05, 2022 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Is Paris Ready To Embrace Its Olympic Moment?
In a live television interview from Paris’s Grand Palais – the centrepiece of this year’s Olympic Games, which open on 26 July – Emmanuel Macron set out his ambitions for the country’s athletes in much the same way he might outline a political manifesto.
Can Britons Learn To Love The Idea Of The 'Nanny State'?
Despite detractors, Rishi Sunak’s tobacco bill shows the public will support policies that would once have been thought draconian
Battle Ready How Might New US Aid Change The War?
After months of stalling, the US House of Representatives last weekend approved more than $61bn of military assistance to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia, as well as billions for other allies including Israel and Taiwan.
What are the rules of thumb for buying a quality kitchen knife?
I need anew chef’s knife any recommendations? Nothing too expensive, though.
Keep it reel Clubs drive a celluloid resurgence
A ballooning number of groups dedicated to cinema in its original medium are springing up across the UK. They explain its thrills and challenges
I'm begging world leaders to raise taxes for rich people like me
The need to tax rich people like me has never been so dire. Extreme wealth concentration in the hands of a few oligarchs is a threat to democracy the world over.
Troubled waters
In an unprecedented deal, a private company bought land in an Arizona town - and sold its water rights to a suburb 300km away. Have the floodgates opened for US corporations to cash in on drought?
Melania is back-but she's still not playing by the rules
Her biggest fashion statement as first lady was a green jacket emblazoned with the words, “I really don’t care, do u?” More recently Melania Trump has given the impression that she doesn’t care whether her husband, Donald, returns to the White House. That is about to change.
Poll prejudice In a big voting year, where are all the female candidates?
With more people set to vote in elections than at any time in history, 2024 is being touted as a test of democracies’ strength around the world. But one thing remains in noticeably short supply – female leadership candidates.
The man who helped scores to flee violence in Darfur
Every night, for weeks at a time last year, Saad al-Mukhtar put a small group of people in the back of his Toyota Land Cruiser and drove them under the cover of darkness from his home in the Sudanese city of Geneina across the border and into Chad.
