Phyo Zeya Thaw
Phyo Zeya Thaw (Burmese: ဖြိုးဇေယျာသော် [zèjà θɔ̀], also called U Phyo Zeya Thaw or Zeya Thaw; 26 March 1981 – 23 July 2022) was a Burmese politician and hip-hop artist who was detained and executed for the perceived anti-government messages of his lyrics. Amnesty International named Phyo Zeya Thaw a prisoner of conscience. Phyo Zeya Thaw was a member of Pyithu Hluttaw, the Lower House of the Burmese parliament. Phyo Zeya Thaw, along with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, were elected to the lower house on 1 April 2012.
Phyo Zeya Thaw | |
|---|---|
ဖြိုးဇေယျာသော် | |
Phyo Zeya Thaw on 2021 during the Myanmar coup d'état | |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 1 February 2016 – 1 February 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Sandar Min |
| Constituency | Zabuthiri Township |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 2 May 2012 – 29 January 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Tin Aung Myint Oo |
| Succeeded by | Tun Thit |
| Constituency | Pobbathiri Township |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 March 1981 Yangon, Burma |
| Died | 23 July 2022 (aged 41) Insein Prison, Yangon, Myanmar |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Nationality | Burmese |
| Political party | National League for Democracy |
| Spouse | Thazin Nyunt Aung |
| Parents |
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| Education | BEHS No. 6 Botahtaung |
| Alma mater | Yadanabon University |
| Occupation | Musician, politician |
In November 2021 Phyo Zeya Thaw was arrested by the Myanmar military junta and was sentenced to death in January 2022. In June 2022, the junta announced that Phyo Zeya Thaw's execution was imminent. On 23 July 2022, Phyo Zeya Thaw and three other democratic activists (among them Kyaw Min Yu) were executed.