The Canadian Embassy in Yangon issued a statement on 7 June strongly condemning the military regime’s reported plans to execute pro-democracy leaders and activists.

It said: “Canada opposes the death penalty in all circumstances for all people, everywhere.”

The statement also said that Canada is gravely concerned by ongoing violations of human rights and humanitarian law in Myanmar, including the right to a fair trial and the independence of the judiciary.

As well as calling on the Myanmar military not to carry out the executions the statement also called for the release of political prisoners and arbitrarily detained people.

It is not just the Canadians who have protested the executions in Myanmar. Statements strongly condemning the planned executions of four men including Ko Jimmy and Ko Phyo Zayar Thaw have also come from the French Embassy in Yangon, The US Department of State Spokesperson, Ned Price, and the UN secretary-general, António Guterres.

These will be the first judicial executions in Myanmar since 1990.