Ma Nilar Thein, 50, told the Guardian she was heartbroken by her husband’s murder, but that the public “will hold our hands together in unity”. “We can’t stop just because we’re sad. And, we cannot mourn. We must continue our journey bearing in mind that we will have to eliminate 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 this week that shocked Myanmar and around the world. They were sentenced to death after closed trials in which they were charged with conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism. Many in the international community tried to stop the executions, said Ma Nilar Thein, who spoke in hiding, but added that some mistakenly believed the junta would not carry out its threat. “The SAC [State Administration Council] they didn’t care and they do whatever they want,” she said, referring to the junta’s official title. “Some diplomats took serious action on this. But some diplomats also thought that this [execution] it could never happen. Now, the international community must learn that SAC is not afraid to do anything. . “I want to say that this kind of case can be an example, that we can learn about what will or will not happen next. Let’s not underestimate them,” he added. “When the international community has a diplomatic relationship with them [the military]I urge you to take effective action.” There are fears that the junta could execute dozens more people who have been sentenced to death since the coup. Ma Nilar Thein and her husband were both prominent leaders in the 1988 democratic uprising, a movement crushed by the military that killed thousands. She said she had not been told when the executions would take place. Kyaw Min Yu had asked the family for some money to spend in prison and the staff had told them to pay on Monday. But on Monday, the family read on the news that he had been executed. Family and relatives of the other three men have not been given access to the bodies. Ma Nilar Thein said the public should not give up their fight for democracy. “I want people to go forward with a spirit of victory that we will definitely win,” he said. The execution of Kyaw Min Yu, Phyo Zeya Thaw, Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw caused condemnation around the world, as well as mourning and shock in Myanmar. Sithu Maung, 35, a lawmaker from Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party, described Kyaw Min Yu as an “artist, poet and songwriter and revolutionary”. The killings would only drive the activists forward, he said: “We are not the water in their palms, we are the broken pieces of glass in their palms… They can hold it any way they want. At least their hands will be spilled with our blood. But we will find justice for this.” Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST Tributes have also poured in last week for Phyo Zeya Thaw, who was among Myanmar’s first generation of rappers, a founder of the pro-democracy movement Generation Wave and later a prominent NLD politician. Moe Thway, a close friend of Phyo Zeya Thaw, described him as a man of strong convictions. “He is very determined about politics. If he doesn’t want to do [something], he wouldn’t. But if he did, he did it well,” he said. The two attended high school together and participated in pro-democracy protests as students in 1996, handing out leaflets at their school. Phyo Zeya Thaw didn’t always study hard as a teenager, but he was naturally bright, she said. “When we’re in 9th grade, it was the moment we did [experimented] with everything. We used to smoke and write poems,” recalls Moe Thway. In music and politics, Phyo Zeya Thaw excelled. His band, Acid, released Myanmar’s first rap album, with lyrics that captured the anger and frustration of a new generation. “People think he’s a rapper and an activist. But it also has an academic feel,” said Moe Thway. As an MP, his bedrooms in Parliament were converted into a library for other MPs. In the wake of last year’s coup, Phyo Zeya Thaw worked with youth on the ground and showed his leadership in the armed resistance movement, Moe Thway said. Many have taken up arms in response to military violence. Phyo Zeya Thaw had created for himself the most valuable legacy, added Moe Thway: “I am proud to be his partner.”
