Kyaw Min Yu (; also known as Ko Jimmy; 13 February 1969 – 23 July 2022) was a Burmese writer,

political prisoner A political prisoner is someone imprisoned for their political activity. The political offense is not always the official reason for the prisoner's detention. There is no internationally recognized legal definition of the concept, although ...

, and a member of the

88 Generation Students Group The 88 Generation Students () is a Burma, Burmese pro-democracy movement known for their activism against the country's State Peace and Development Council, military junta. Many of its members were imprisoned by the Burmese government on charge ...

. He was executed in July 2022 after being sentenced to death for activism against the junta that seized power in a coup in 2021.

Career

Activism

Kyaw Min Yu rose to prominence during the

8888 Uprising The 8888 Uprising, also known as the People Power Uprising and the 1988 Uprising, was a series of nationwide protests, marches, and riots in Burma (present-day Myanmar) that peaked in August 1988. Key events occurred on 8 August 1988 and ther ...

, as a student activist. He was imprisoned for 15 years, from 1988 to 2003, for participating in the 8888 Uprising, and later spent another five years in prison after protesting fuel price hikes with the

in August 2007.

Writing

He wrote the self-help book ''Making Friendship'' (), which became a bestseller, in 2005.'''' On 6 September 2012, he published a novel, ''The Moon in Inle Lake'' (), which had been written in 2010 during a prison sentence in Taunggyi. While serving a sentence in Taunggyi, he wrote a number of political post-modern short stories, published in Japan, under the pen name Pan Pu Lwin Pyin. Ko Jimmy translated numerous novels, including ''

Angels and Demons ''Angels & Demons'' is a 2000 bestselling mystery- thriller novel written by American author Dan Brown and published by Pocket Books and then by Corgi Books. The novel introduces the character Robert Langdon, who recurs as the protagonist of B ...

'' and ''

The Da Vinci Code ''The Da Vinci Code'' is a 2003 mystery thriller novel by Dan Brown. It is “the best-selling American novel of all time.” Brown's second novel to include the character Robert Langdon—the first was his 2000 novel '' Angels & Demons''� ...

,'' into Burmese while in prison.''

2021 Myanmar coup d'état and execution

On 13 February 2021, in the aftermath of the

2021 Myanmar coup d'état A coup d'état in Myanmar began on the morning of 1 February 2021, when Elections in Myanmar, democratically elected members of the country's ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), were deposed by the Tatmadaw, Myanmar's milita ...

, Kyaw Min Yu and six other high profile individuals, namely

Min Ko Naing Paw Oo Tun ( ; born 18 October 1962), better known by his alias Min Ko Naing ( , lit. "conqueror of kings"), is a leading democracy activist and dissident from Myanmar. He has spent most of the years since 1988 imprisoned by the state for his op ...

, Myo Yan Naung Thein, Insein Aung Soe, Mg Mg Aye, Pencilo, and Lynn Lynn were charged and issued arrest warrants under section 505(b) of the

Myanmar Penal Code The Penal Code of Myanmar is the official criminal code of Myanmar. The code was enacted on 1 May 1861 during British rule in Burma and is divided into 23 chapters. The Penal Code of Myanmar is nearly identical to the Indian Penal Code, due to th ...

by the

State Administration Council The State Administration Council (; abbreviated SAC or နစက) is the military junta currently governing Myanmar, established by Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Min Aung Hlaing following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, February 2021 c ...

for inciting unrest against the state and threatening "public tranquility" through their social media posts. He was arrested in

Dagon Township Dagon Township ( ) is located immediately north of downtown Yangon. The township comprises five wards, and shares borders with Bahan Township in the north, Ahlon Township in the west, Mingala Taungnyunt Township in the east, and Lanmadaw Townsh ...

on 23 October. On 23 January 2022, the

Myanmar Military The Tatmadaw, also known as the Sit-Tat, is the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include ...

Tribunal sentenced Yu to death under the country's Counterterrorism Law for contacting the

Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw The Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (; abbreviated CRPH) is a Burmese legislative body in exile, representing a group of National League for Democracy lawmakers and members of parliament ousted in the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état. T ...

National Unity Government A national unity government, government of national unity (GNU), or national union government is a broad coalition government consisting of all parties (or all major parties) in the legislature, usually formed during a time of war or other na ...

(NUG), and People's Defense Force (PDF). On 23 July 2022, it was announced that Yu had been executed along with

Phyo Zeya Thaw Phyo Zeya Thaw (; , also referred to as Zeya Thaw (; ; 26 March 1981 – 23 July 2022) was a Burmese politician and hip hop recording artist who was detained and executed due to the perceived anti-government messages in his lyrics. Amnesty Int ...

and two others.

Personal life

Yu was born 13 February 1969, in

Shan State Shan State (, ; , ) is a administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. Shan State borders China (Yunnan) to the north, Laos (Louang Namtha Province, Louang Namtha and Bokeo Provinces) to the east, and Thailand (Chiang Rai Province, Chia ...

in eastern Myanmar. At the time of the

he was a

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

student at Rangoon Arts & Sciences University (later re-named the

University of Yangon The University of Yangon (also Yangon University; , ; formerly Rangoon College, University of Rangoon and Rangoon Arts and Sciences University), located in Kamayut, Yangon, is the oldest university in Myanmar's modern education system and the b ...

). He was married to

Nilar Thein Nilar Thein (, ) (born 4 March 1972) is a Burmese democracy activist and political prisoner imprisoned from 2008 to 2012 at Thayet prison in Burma's Magway Region. Amnesty International considered her a prisoner of conscience. 8888 uprising an ...

, a political activist. They met while incarcerated after the 8888 Uprising and wedded after they were both released in 2004. The couple have a daughter, Phyu Nay Kyi Min Yu.

Death

Yu was 53 years old when he was executed in July 2022. On 28 July 2022, the G7 foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, The United Kingdom, and the United States of America, and the European Union released a statement strongly condemning Kyaw Min Yu's execution by the military junta.

Publications

* ''Making Friendship'' (2005) * ''The Moon in Inle Lake'' (2012)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kyaw Min Yu 1969 births 2022 deaths Executed Burmese people University of Yangon alumni People from Shan State People executed by Myanmar by hanging