The source said Zarganar and Zaw Thet Htwe will probably be tried on August 7.
Zarganar was one of the leaders of a volunteer cyclone relief group made up of more than 400 people. The group provided food and relief material to 42 villages in the Irrawaddy delta, a number of which had received no help in the cyclone’s aftermath.
Following Zarganar’s arrest, the group’s relief efforts were halted.The Burmese authorities arrested Zarganar on June 4, seizing a computer from his home and about US $1,000 (1,140,000 kyat) in cash, which he had collected in donations for cyclone refugees. Authorities also confiscated three CDs, including one which reportedly showed the opulent wedding of Thandar Shwe, the youngest daughter of Snr-Gen Than Shwe, and a “Rambo 4” movie, in which Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone battles Burmese soldiers to rescue kidnapped Westerners. Some sources say Zarganar was arrested by authorities because he talked frequently to the foreign press, who saw him as a reliable source of information inside Burma.
Relatives of Zarganar said they were not informed that he would appear in court.
Zarganar was one of the leaders of a volunteer cyclone relief group made up of more than 400 people. The group provided food and relief material to 42 villages in the Irrawaddy delta, a number of which had received no help in the cyclone’s aftermath.
Following Zarganar’s arrest, the group’s relief efforts were halted.The Burmese authorities arrested Zarganar on June 4, seizing a computer from his home and about US $1,000 (1,140,000 kyat) in cash, which he had collected in donations for cyclone refugees. Authorities also confiscated three CDs, including one which reportedly showed the opulent wedding of Thandar Shwe, the youngest daughter of Snr-Gen Than Shwe, and a “Rambo 4” movie, in which Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone battles Burmese soldiers to rescue kidnapped Westerners. Some sources say Zarganar was arrested by authorities because he talked frequently to the foreign press, who saw him as a reliable source of information inside Burma.
Relatives of Zarganar said they were not informed that he would appear in court.
Cyclone-hit Myanmar struggling to find its feet
According to a joint assessment by the United Nations, Myanmar and Southeast Asian governments, three quarters of households have inadequate access to clean drinking water, making water-borne diseases such as cholera and dysentery a constant threat.
In addition, more than 40 percent have little or nothing by way of food, having lost their stocks in the May 2 storm and the sea surge that smashed into the delta, leaving 138,000 people dead or missing.
Another 800,000 were displaced in a disaster that the U.N. says affected 2.4 million people in the former Burma, where most people rely on farming for a living.
"The window of opportunity for planning crops has now closed. Farmers will have to wait until November 2009 for their next decent harvest and will struggle to find enough food," leading charity Save The Children said.
While UN children's agency UNICEF said malnutrition was not yet a cause for concern, Save The Children said that if food and employment needs were not addressed, the number of malnourished youngsters could rise to emergency levels.
Fears of funding shortages have been compounded by recent revelations that aid agencies are losing money due to Myanmar's distorted official exchange rate. The United Nations admitted this week it had lost $10 million so far.
In addition, more than 40 percent have little or nothing by way of food, having lost their stocks in the May 2 storm and the sea surge that smashed into the delta, leaving 138,000 people dead or missing.
Another 800,000 were displaced in a disaster that the U.N. says affected 2.4 million people in the former Burma, where most people rely on farming for a living.
"The window of opportunity for planning crops has now closed. Farmers will have to wait until November 2009 for their next decent harvest and will struggle to find enough food," leading charity Save The Children said.
While UN children's agency UNICEF said malnutrition was not yet a cause for concern, Save The Children said that if food and employment needs were not addressed, the number of malnourished youngsters could rise to emergency levels.
Fears of funding shortages have been compounded by recent revelations that aid agencies are losing money due to Myanmar's distorted official exchange rate. The United Nations admitted this week it had lost $10 million so far.
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