Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Protest to call for release of Burma VJ, other political prisoners

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Wednesday, 31 August 2011 14:22 Mizzima News

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The Free Burma VJ Campaign plans a demonstration on September 9 outside the Burmese embassy in Bangkok to call for the release of imprisoned video journalist, Hla Hla Win.

Imprisoned video journalist Hla Hla Win.
Photo: Free Burma VJ NGO
The NGO plans to hand a letter to the embassy calling for the release of the Burmese video journalist or VJ, and the release of the 1,995 political prisoners currently held in Burma.

Two years ago, Hla Hla Win was arrested and sentenced to 27 years in jail for doing her job as a journalist, according to a press release issued by the NGO. She was sentenced to seven years under the Import/Export act for using an unregistered motorcycle and under interrogation admitted to sending video footage to the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) and was sentenced to a further 20 years under the Electronics Act.

Similar protests will be held on the same day in Paris, London and Geneva, with members of Info Birmanie, Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders, the Fédération International des ligues des Droits de l’Homme and  Burma Campaign UK in front of their countries’ respective Burmese embassies.

Hla Hla Win, 27, and 17 other DVB VJs are currently in prison in Burma.

According to the press release, “A democracy doesn't keep its journalists behind bars and respects basic human rights: including those of freedom of expression, freedom of information and association. The ceaseless harassment on journalists by the Burmese authorities proves that democracy in Burma remains a distant prospect for those journalists in jail.”


For details of Hla Hla Win’s case, click here.

For details of the protest in Bangkok, click here.

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