Yangon, Buddhist Monk sentenced to seven years for illegal association
Yangon (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A Yangon court has sentenced a Buddhist monk to seven years in prison, on charges of illegal association. The news was reported by a member of the opposition in Burma, on the same day the UN High Representative for Human Rights concludes his diplomatic visit to Myanmar.
Gaw Thita was arrested last August at the international airport in Yangon, on his return from a trip to Taiwan. The Buddhist Monk was sentenced February 17 by a special court in Insein Prison, the infamous prison where many Burmese opposition members and human rights activists are imprisoned.
According to the charges, the court imposed three years for violating the immigration laws, two for illegal association and two for using foreign currency. On 26 August, the day he was arrested, the security forces detained seven other monks Gaw Thita, however, is the only one who has been convicted.
The visit of Tomas Ojea Quintana, a senior UN Human Rights official with the brief for Myanmar, ends today. He met leaders of the military junta - to discuss human rights and elections, scheduled this year - but not the chief Than Shwe. The representative of the United Nations also requested authorization to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi, but received no response from the regime.
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