Posted
August 26th, 2008
by
***UPDATE: English PEN is appalled by the additional fourteen-year prison term handed down to leading comedian and poet Zargana on 27 November 2008, added to the 45 year sentence served against him a week earlier as part of a major judicial crackdown on dissent. This brings his total sentence to fifty-nine years. Journalist Zaw Thet Hwe, a close associate of Zargana, had his sentence increased by an additional four years at the same hearing, bringing his total sentence to nineteen years in prison. For more information, please click here. ***
***UPDATE: English PEN is shocked by the forty-five year sentence handed down to poet and comedian Zargana and the fifteen year sentence handed down to journalist Zaw Thet Htwe on 21 November 2008 for violating the Electronics Act. For more information, please click here.***
English PEN is seriously concerned about the charge of ‘defiling a place of worship with intent to insult the religion’, amongst other charges, made against its Honorary Member Maung Thura (aka ‘Zargana’), a poet and comedian, and journalist Zaw Thet Htwe. They have been under arrest since June 2008, after leading a private effort to deliver aid to cyclone Nargis’ victims. If found guilty, Zargana and Thet Htwe could face up to fifteen years in prison. English PEN considers their detention and charges to be a breach of Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and so calls for their immediate and unconditional release, and for the charges to be dropped.
According to our information, on 14 August 2008 Zargana and Zaw Thet Htwe appeared at a hearing held at the Rangoon West District Court within the Insein prison precincts, where both were charged. Zargana was charged with seven offences, including under section 505(b) of the Criminal Code, section 295 of the Criminal Code, section 17(2) of the Unlawful Associations Act, sections 32(b)/36 of the Video Act and sections 33(a)/38 of the Electronic Act. Zaw Thet Htwe was charged with two offences, under section 505(b) of the Criminal Code, sections 33(a)/38 of the Video Act and section 17(2) of the Unlawful Associations Act.
Zargana, leading comedian, poet and opposition activist, was arrested on the evening of 4 June 2008 after police raided his home in Yangon. Some linked his arrest with his private relief efforts to deliver aid to victims of Cyclone Nargis, which struck on 2 May 2008. It has been reported that during the 14 August hearing, the prosecutor submitted photographs of the poet, which the prosecution claimed demonstrate disaffection towards the state and government. The prosecution also submitted transcripts of interviews given by Zargana to the BBC and VOA.
Journalist Zaw Thet Htwe was arrested on 13 June 2008 whilst visiting his sick mother in the town of Minbu, central Myanmar, and transferred to an interrogation centre in Yangon. His computer, mobile phone, and personal documents were also confiscated. Thet Htwe had been working with comedian Zargana and other leading Burmese figures to deliver aid and support to the victims of Cyclone Nargis.
For more information on Zargana, please see:
/writersinprison/writersunderthreat/myanmarburma/zargana/
For the previous appeal on Zaw Thet Htwe, please see:
/writersinprison/bulletins/myanmarjournalistdetained/
Please send appeals
- expressing serious concern about the detention and charges against comedian and poet Zargana and against journalist Zaw Thet Htwe;
- calling for their immediate and unconditional release and for the charges against them to be dropped;
- demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all those currently detained in Myanmar in violation of Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
While the situation in Myanmar is still critical, letters sent to the country may not be received or taken as a priority. It is therefore recommended that appeals be sent to the diplomatic representative of Myanmar (Burma) in United Kingdom at the following address:
HE Dr Kyaw Win
Embassy of the Union of Myanmar
19A Charles Street
London
W1J 5DX
Originally posted with the url: www.englishpen.org/writersinprison/bulletins/myanmarpoetzarganaandjournalistzawthethtwecharged/
