Via Reporters Without Borders -
Reporters Without Borders and the Burma Media Association condemn the arrest of Myanmar Nation editor, Thet Zin, and his office manager, U Sein Win Maung, on the evening of 15 February in Rangoon. Police detained them during a raid on the weekly, which they closed down after finding documents. Thet Zin, 41, has heart and lung ailments.
"The military junta’s promises of a democratic transition must not divert attention from the continuing crackdown on journalists and government opponents”, the two organisations said.
"These latest arrests of two people in charge of a privately-owned newspaper, without any justification being offered, are evidence of the junta’s desire to keep the news under complete control and to instill fear in journalists”.
The two organisations added: "We appeal to UN mediator Ibrahim Gambari to condemn the arrest of these two Myanmar Nation journalists, which could be linked to the presence in the newspaper’s offices of a copy of a report by his UN colleague, Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Paulo Sergio Pinheiro”.
Thet Zin and U Sein Win Maung were arrested when police and intelligence officers carried out a four-hour search of the offices of the Myanmar Nation and confiscated many documents, including a copy of Pinheiro’s report, videos of last October’s anti-government street protests, and poems. The two journalists were taken to the headquarters of the interior ministry.
"I don’t know why they were arrested and I am very worried”, said Thet Zin’s wife, Khin Swe Myint, a former political prisoner. She was able to see her husband on 18 February. He reportedly told her that he will be transferred to Insein prison on 19 February and that he will face a possible 10-year prison sentence although he does not know what he is charged with.
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