The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) and the Myanmar Accountability Project, (MAP), have released a digital portrait of Ko Jimmy, the democracy activist and prisoner of conscience who was executed along with three others in Yangon on 25 July last year.

The interactive and iconic image is made up of nearly seven thousand tiny digital headshots of people killed by the junta, many of them documented by AAPP. It was released to mark the second anniversary of the failed coup on 1 February 2021.

According to AAPP Director, Ko Bo Kyi, “in the 728 days since the military junta began its coup attempt, thousands have been killed and tens of thousands detained. Whilst the youth generation led this Revolution with ingenious ways, it is they who paid the cost. This image is dedicated to Ko Jimmy, Phyo Zayar Thaw, Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw, and all those who sacrificed their lives. We must never forget those who paid the ultimate price in the fight against junta rule.”

The digital artwork was created by the Portuguese artist, Paulo Andringa.

“Andringo's ingenious creation is a reminder that each statistic has a face and an individual life that have been destroyed by Myanmar’s genocidal junta,” said MAP director, Chris Gunness. “By holding a computer cursor over each headshot in the image, information is revealed about the person killed and the time and manner of their death. Some are children and babies, heart-breaking stories. Each has a dignity and a destiny which we memorialise on this tragic anniversary with the unveiling of this inspirational image of Ko Jimmy.”

On 10 December 2022, to mark World Human Rights Day, the image was projected onto the British Houses of Parliament and formed the backdrop of a candlelight vigil at London’s Marble Arch.