The Pakokku District court gave another 20-year prison term to an undercover female reporter, a judicial court source said.
Hla Hla Win, believed to be a video reporter for an exile based news agency currently being held in Pakokku prison, and her co-accused in the same case Myint Naing, were given additional 20 and 25 year prison sentences respectively on December 31st.
They were charged under the Electronic Act and for another political case which has yet to be made public.
Hla Hla Win and her host Myint Naing were arrested on September 11th last year on their way back from Pakokku Sasana Wapuula Yama Pali Tekkatho (Ah Nauk Tike) in Magwe Division, where Hla Hla Win interviewed local monks. The Pakokku Township court gave them a 7 year prison sentence each on October 6th under section 51 of Export Import Act for using an illegally imported motorcycle.
The lawyers in Pakokku are reluctant to represent the accused in political cases in fear of possible harassments and intimidation from police and local authorities. Furthermore unattractive lawyers’ fees for these cases are another disincentive, a Rangoon based legal consultant Aung Thein said.
Thai-based Burma Media Association (BMA) Vice-Chairman Zin Lin said that they strongly condemn the additional long prison terms given to the female reporter.
“She was arrested while she was trying to cover news and facts which should be known by the people. We strongly condemn the long prison sentences to a reporter which are framed under a false case. We object this act”, Zin Lin said.
According to BMA, a total of 14 reporters were arrested in 2009,after the 2007 September saffron revolution.
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