The editor, publisher and three reporters of the Bi-Mon Te Nay closed down in July. They have been charged under the Criminal Code and the Law on press, with harshest penalties. They were accused of having published propaganda of an activist group, which announced the fall of the executive and the establishment of an interim government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

Yangon (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A court in Yangon has sentenced five journalists of the weekly Bi-Mon Te Nay, now out of print, to two years in prison for "sedition". The basis of the judgment is an article in which it was stated that the current administration led by President Thein Sein would be replaced by an interim government until new elections. At the reading of the verdict, which took place yesterday, the judges found them guilty of "defamation of the State" under Article 505 (b) of the Criminal Code of Burma. They received the maximum sentence possible for this offense: the Court recognized the extremes of "violent revolt against the ruling power."

The process involved the publisher, the editor and three journalists of the magazine; the five are on trial for having published, in July last year, an article reporting the claims of an activist group, according to which the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi would led, together with ethnic leaders, a transition  government after the fall of the current one.

At first the defense had asked to prosecute the accused under the new Media Law, which was approved in March, according to which a dispute concerning an article would first be "mediated" by Myanmar's Interim Press Council. And the penalty, if convicted, would have been minor compared to the charge of sedition envisaged by the Criminal Code. However, the courts rejected the lawyers application. An appeal has been lodged.

Outside the court, located in the town of Pabedan (Yangon), a group of journalists held a protest, speaking of "a terrible precedent" for press freedom in the country. In August, the activist Htin Kyaw, from Myanmar Democratic Current Force (MDCF), was sentenced to one year in prison with hard labor for having distributed leaflets stating that the Nobel Peace Laureate and other political leaders were preparing a State coup.  

In over 50 years of military dictatorship, journalists were forbidden to talk about sensitive topics such as corruption, poverty and natural disasters; Dozens of journalists have been imprisoned at the hands of the ruling junta. The pseudo-reformist government of President Thein Sein, in power since 2011, has initiated a number of democratic changes, including new Press laws. However, human rights activist and groups argue that - following the cancellation of censorship - arrests and the intimidation of journalists have increased in recent months.

 

• myanmar
• press
• freedom
• jail
• sedition
• journalists