[Source: Aljazeera]

Myanmar’s military-installed government has sentenced more critics to death, bringing the total to 139, and is using capital punishment as a tool to crush opposition.

This is according to United Nations high commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, who says at least seven university students were sentenced to death behind closed doors last week.

There are reports that as many as four more youth activists were also sentenced on Thursday.

He says the Myanmar military continues to hold proceedings in secretive courts in violation of basic principles of fair trial and contrary to core judicial guarantees of independence and impartiality.

The UN High Commissioner says military courts have consistently failed to uphold any degree of transparency, contrary to the most basic due process or fair trial guarantees.