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TOKYO: The G7 group of foreign ministers on Thursday condemned the executions of four political activists in Myanmar by the military junta there.

The executions were the first in over 30 years in the Southeast Asian country.

“We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, strongly condemn the four executions by the military junta in Myanmar,” a statement from the ministers said.

“The absence of fair trials shows the junta’s contempt for the unwavering democratic aspirations of the people of Myanmar. Those executed were prominent members of the democratic opposition – democracy activist Kyaw Min Yu (known as ‘Ko Jimmy’), former Member of Parliament Phyo Zeyar Thaw, as well as Aung Thura Zaw and Hla Myo Aung. Our thoughts are with the families of the four victims and with those of the many others who have been killed, arrested or tortured in Myanmar since the military illegitimately took over power in February 2021.”

The ministers expressed “deep concern” about the human rights situation in Myanmar and condemned the military coup.

“We call on the military regime to immediately end the use of violence, to refrain from further arbitrary executions, to free all political prisoners and those arbitrarily detained and to return the country to a democratic path,” the ministers’ statement said. “We continue to support efforts by ASEAN, and call for the military to meaningfully implement all aspects of the ASEAN Five Point Consensus. This includes an inclusive process of dialogue with a broad range of democratic opposition.”

The political party of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi won an overwhelming majority in the 2020 election in Myanmar, but the military took over the country less than three months later and arrested Suu Kyi and thousands of others.