Myanmar sentences lawmaker from Aung San Suu Kyi's party to death

A closed military court in Myanmar has sentenced a lawmaker from Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party and a prominent democracy activist to death, Al Jazeera reported on Saturday. 

The NLD's Phyo Zeyar Thaw, who was arrested in November, was sentenced to death for offences under the country's Counterterrorism Law, the media outlet citing a statement from the generals reported. Prominent democracy activist Kyaw Min Yu, better known as Ko Jimmy, was given the same sentence, the statement added. 

"The Burmese military has handed out death sentences to prominent activists, Ko Jimmy & Zeyar Thaw. This may be the latest attempt by the military to crush dissent & hopes of the people... but protests & resistance grows daily, so does our determination to uproot this military," a Burmese human rights activist working at Burma Campaign UK also tweeted.

Al Jazeera reported that they were found guilty of offences involving explosives, bombings and financing terrorism, but details were sketchy because of the blackout on proceedings. Myanmar was plunged into crisis when army chief Min Aung Hlaing deposed the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and seized power for the military on February 1 last year. 

The coup prompted mass protests and a civil disobedience movement, and thousands have been arrested in the military's attempt to crack down on dissent. Almost 1,500 civilians are estimated to have been killed, according to Al Jazeera.