Myanmar Jails Another Video Reporter

Paris-based charity Reporters Without Borders has condemned the jailing of a second video journalist by Myanmar's ruling military within four weeks.

Reporters Without Borders and the Burma Media Association, run by exiled Myanmar journalists based in Thailand, said the 13-year jail sentence passed on Ngwe Soe Lin shows the junta's "phobia of uncontrolled video reporting."

Ngwe was sentenced by a special court inside Insein Prison in Yangon, the name given to the city of Rangoon by the military and the former capital of what was called Burma.

He is the second video reporter for the Myanmar exile radio and TV station Democratic Voice of Burma, based in Oslo, to be convicted in the space of a month, a joint statement by the two pressure groups said. "He should be freed at once, as should Hla Hla Win, the young woman reporter who was given a 20-year sentence four weeks ago after providing DVB with video material."

Hla, 25, was arrested on Sept. 11, 2009, after visiting a monastery in the city of Pakokku in central Myanmar and given a seven-year sentence the following month under the Export Import Act for using an illegally imported motorcycle. She was given her later sentence of 20 years under the Electronics Act and the Immigration Emergency Provisions Act, as was Ngwe.

A person who accompanied Hla at the time of her arrest was also given a 26-year sentence.

Ngwe was arrested on June 26, 2009, as he left an Internet cafe in a Yangon suburb with one of his friends, also arrested and interrogated by the police for nearly two months before being released, Reporters Without Borders said.

Between 15 and 20 journalists and ordinary people who provide material including amateur video and reportage via the Internet are currently detained in Myanmar, the Reporters Without Borders statement said.

"As regards media freedom, we believe that none of the conditions are being met for this year's elections to be considered free and democratic."

The ruling military has on several occasions promised international organizations that elections will be held sometime this year. But the generals have not as yet given a date, creating some frustration for pro-democracy groups inside and outside the country.

Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, 64, now under house detention, and her lawyers were angered at recent comments by Home Minister Maj. Gen. Maung Oo, who said she would be released in November. This will be too late for her to take part in an election, according to many dissidents.

Much media attention has been focused on Suu Kyi and her detention. The Nobel Peace laureate and her party the National League for Democracy won the last general election, held in 1990. But the results were not acknowledged by the military, which has ruled the country for most of the time since 1962. Suu Kyi has spent around 14 of the past 20 years under some form of detention including jail.

But the military government has also had its frustrations, in particular with insurgent groups deep in the jungles of the interior. While the army has been fighting some groups, it has also been talking to others to hand over their weapons in return for helping them reintegrate into society.

Police gave what the media said was a rare news event last week where they said they had proof that insurgents were plotting to disrupt the upcoming general election.

They said they had arrested 11 people with explosives, guns and bomb-making equipment, according to Myanmar Police Chief Brig. Gen. Khin Yi. He said the arrested people were planning to "jeopardize peace, stability and destroy the coming election."

They had been working closely with Myanmar dissident groups based in Thailand, including the Burma Lawyers Council, the Karen National Union and All Burmese Students Democratic Front.

Source :http://www.officialwire.com/main.php?action=posted_news&rid=89652&catid=817

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