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Burmese
Military Sentences Journalist to Death
Source: Article 19
December 12, 2003
We condemn the death
sentence imposed on Burmese magazine editor Zaw Thet Htwe for allegedly
committing high treason by plotting to murder senior government figures.
Zaw Thet Htwe, editor-in-chief of First Eleven Sports Journal, was sentenced
to death on 28 November by a Rangoon military court under Article 122/1
of the Law on High Treason for allegedly trying to murder leaders of the
State Peace and Development Council. The Burmese military accused him
of participating in the planning of a series of bombings and of working
with members of Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party, the National League
for Democracy (NLD), to stir up unrest. Four other journalists who work
for the magazine were detained for several days.
The arrest follows Htwe's publication of a story alleging misuse of an
international donation of US$4 million intended to promote football in
Burma and of an article reporting a fine imposed by the organisers of
the Asian Champion Club tournament on a Burmese football team for its
failure to participate. First Eleven Sports Journal, with a circulation
of more than 50,000, is Burma's most widely read sports magazine. According
to our sources, little evidence has been provided to back up the government's
claims and there is no proof of NLD involvement in the alleged plot. The
military government has denied claims that Htwe's arrest was linked to
his work as a journalist. The Burmese government frequently makes accusations
of treason and other criminal offences against people it wants to target
and more than 20 Burmese journalists are currently in prison.
In our view, the imposition of such an extreme penalty, particularly in
these circumstances, highlights once again the contempt the Burmese government
has consistently demonstrated for freedom of expression and other fundamental
human rights. The right to freedom of expression, universally recognised
as fundamental underpinning of democracy, is guaranteed at Article 19
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
We condemn the death sentence imposed on Htwe and call on the Burmese
Government to take all necessary steps to ensure that it is not imposed
and that his right to freedom of expression, and to expose wrongdoing
and incompetence, is respected.
For more information or comments contact the Media Office, Forum-Asia,
in Bangkok on +66 6 0605372, email media@forumasia.org
or Jessica Newton, ARTICLE 19, in London on +44 20 7239-1187, email: Jessica@article19.org
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