Thursday 19 March 2015

Myanmar sentences journalists over 'defamation'

Source Aljazeera, 19 March

Myanmar sentences journalists over 'defamation'

Editor and reporter given two-month jail term each in ruling that raises concerns about press freedoms in the country.

On Tuesday a barman and his associates were convicted for posting a flyer on social media showing a Buddha wearing headphones [AP]

A Myanmar court has sentenced two journalists to two months in prison on charges of defamation, in the latest ruling that raises concerns about press freedoms as the country emerges from military rule.

Thursday's conviction is the first time journalists have been convicted of defamation since President Thein Sein's government took office in 2011.

The Myanmar Post's chief editor, Than Htaik Thu, and reporter Hsan Moe Tun were charged in February 2014 after their weekly newspaper quoted an unnamed lawmaker from southeastern Mon state making comments about military representatives in the parliament having low education.

Another 10 journalists are serving prison terms for other offences and nearly 20 are facing trials.

Thursday's ruling comes two days after a Myanmar court sentenced a New Zealand bar manager and his two business associates to two years and six months in prison for insulting Buddhism.

The trio were convicted on Tuesday for posting a flyer on social media that showed a psychedelic depiction of Buddha wearing headphones.

Phillip Blackwood, 32, Tun Thurein, 40, and 26-year-old Htut Ko Ko Lwin were given two years for insulting religion and six months for disobeying an order from a public servant.

The trial of the three men came as the predominantly Buddhist nation grapples with a surge of religious nationalism, including violence against members of the minority Muslim community.

They were arrested in December after the image was used on Facebook to promote the tapas bar and lounge, and sparked outrage on social media.

Source: Agencies

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Politics, Asia Pacific

Myanmar court jails three for insulting Buddhism :

Trio, including a New Zealand national, convicted over Facebook post showing a depiction of Buddha wearing headphones.

Asia Pacific, Myanmar

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Urgent Intervention Requires in Arakan

the government’s involvement and contributions into the crisis are very clear based on:
1) Imposing Curfew and Order on only Rohingya while Rakhine people are freely allowed to carry out various attacks, looting goods and casheven harden woods and pillars and torching fires.
2) Allowing security forces to shot the Rohingyas, not arresting a single armed Rakhine.
3) Seizing lands of Rohingyas which were burnt down and disposing them into concentration camps.
4) Blocking aid and foods, attacking aid workers then compelling to die from starvation.
5) Denying their rights to have rights such as medicare, education, relocation, movement.
6) President Thein Sein asking the United Nation to relocate Rohingya in a third country.
7) Fabricating false news: the local Burmese news groups and anti-Rohingya bloggers are able to report the way they like and play a major role of bias through inciting anti-Rohingya propagandas and portraying the Rohingyas as they want and provide reverse information.
8) Forcing to accept foreigner identity in the mid of humanitarian crisis.

From 8 of June 2012, total destructionacross 11 different townships of Arakan,reached at 97 mosques, about 23,000 houses. Death toll over 12,000 and nearly 200,000 people displaced and number of arbitrary detention reached at least 12,00 Rohingyas and Kaman muslims mainly from Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Sittwe townships. Many religious building and brick made homes of Rohingya were just half destructed from the attacks of Rakhines but government sent bulldozer team from Yangon to cleans all remnant building belong to Rohingya.

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Thursday 19 March 2015