Japanese Lawmakers Condemn Myanmar Executions
A nonpartisan group of Japanese lawmakers has condemned the junta in Myanmar for executing four people, including pro-democracy activists.
The lawmakers issued a statement in an emergency meeting on Wednesday, criticizing the executions with what they called "the greatest anger."
A spokesperson for the military's governing council confirmed on Tuesday that the junta had executed four people. They included a former lawmaker who was a close aide to the country's ousted de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The lawmakers said in the statement that Myanmar's military had repeatedly used armed force and violence against citizens. They cited airstrikes and systematic burning of villages among other human rights violations.
They went on to say that the latest executions represent a massacre of citizens that cannot be tolerated.
The lawmakers called on the Japanese government to increase pressure on Myanmar's leadership to stop the violence and use of armed force against its citizens. It called for stronger, more effective sanctions to be imposed on the country as soon as possible.