A military
court in southern Myeik sentenced Aung Kyaw of the Democratic Voice of Burma
(DVB) and Zaw Zaw, a freelance reporter for Mizzima, to two years in prison
over their reporting of anti-junta protests, Mizzima and DVB said.
اضافة اعلان
Aung Kyaw is the third
DVB journalist imprisoned since the military’s Feb. 1 overthrow of Aung San Suu
Kyi’s elected government, which caused nationwide outrage and daily protests,
some of which were suppressed by troops using live ammunition.
Mizzima said Zaw Zaw
was one of six of its staff arrested since the coup.
DVB and Mizzima are
among several news outlets that have had licenses revoked by the junta, which
has restricted internet access and banned outside satellite broadcasts in an
effort to stifle opposition to its rule.
A spokesman for the
military council could not be reached for comment. The junta has
said it respects the media but will not tolerate journalists who instigate
unrest.
The military has in
recent months arrested then deported a Japanese and a Polish journalist and is
currently holding two American media workers.
US Deputy Secretary of
State Wendy Sherman said the
United States had pressed the
military to release Americans Daniel Fenster and Nathan Maung and that she had
raised their arrests with other countries in the region.
“The detention of
Daniel and Nathan, as well as the use of violence by the Burmese military to
other journalists, constitutes an unacceptable attack on the freedom of
expression in Burma,” Sherman said in a call with media in Bangkok, referring
to Myanmar by its former name.
Read more news from Asia
.jpg)
.jpg)
