Burma: several members of the opposition government to the junta stripped of their nationality

Protester in Yangon, February 19, 2021 (illustration image).

REUTERS - STRINGER

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This Saturday, March 5, the Burmese junta announced that it had stripped of their nationality several members of the "national unity government" formed by former elected politicians from the party of the former leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. 

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These Burmese opposition deputies had formed a " 

national unity government 

" (NUG) a few weeks after the military coup of February 1, 2021 with the aim of restoring democracy.

The NUG has since been labeled a “ 

terrorist

 ” organization by the junta.

Among those sanctioned are Spokesperson Sasa, Foreign Minister Zin Mar Aung, Interior Minister Lwin Ko Latt and Human Rights Minister Aung Myo Min.

“ 

Identified and prosecuted

 ”

They " 

violated the laws

...

committed acts likely to harm the interests of Burma 

", reported

Global New Light of Myanmar

, a state media.

The writer Ei Pencilo and the famous activists Min Ko Naing and Ei Thinzar Maung are subject to the same measure.

Perpetrators of similar acts will be identified and prosecuted 

," the army added.

The NUG has not been recognized by any foreign government, with many of its members in hiding or living in exile.

Aung San Suu Kyi, named its leader, has been detained since the coup that ended a decade of democratic transition.

She is the subject of a multitude of charges, in particular for violation of a law on state secrets dating from the colonial era, electoral fraud, sedition, incitement to public disorder, corruption.

She has already been sentenced to six years in prison and faces a total of decades in prison at the end of her trial.

Nearly 1,600 civilians killed

Since the coup, which plunged the country into violence, more than 1,600 civilians have been killed and nearly 9,000 are detained in regime jails, according to a local observatory which denounces cases of rape, torture and extrajudicial executions.

(

with AFP

)

To read also: Burma: the junta releases and pardons one of the country's most famous actors

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  • Burma

  • Human rights

  • Aung San Suu Kyi