Myanmar: Myanmar Imprisons Activist Lawyer For Four Years

http://www.mysinchew.com/node/22359?tid=37

Foreign 2009-03-20 10:58
YANGON, MYANMAR: Authorities in military-ruled Myanmar sentenced a lawyer who has defended pro-democracy and labor activists to four years in prison, accusing him of having links with "illegal organizations," opposition and legal sources said.

Pho Phyu, a lawyer in his early thirties, was arrested 15 Jan in central Myanmar on his way back to Yangon after representing two labor activists.

"We are very sad to hear about the sentencing of Pho Phyu. It's a shame that defense lawyers defending their clients are being imprisoned. Prevalence of law in the country has to be questioned," Nyan Win, a spokesman for the opposition National League for Democracy, said Thursday night (19 March).


No official announcement of the sentencing has been made, but legal sources close to the case said Pho Phyu was handed a four-year sentence Tuesday (17 March) for alleged links with "illegal organizations" after a trial in which he was not represented by a lawyer. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation by the government.

In recent months, the junta has imprisoned pro-democracy activists in an apparent attempt to clear away dissent before elections promised for next year. Military courts have sentenced hundreds of dissidents to prison terms of up to 104 years.

The two labor rights activists Pho Phyu represented were allegedly detained for complaining to the United Nations' International Labor Organization about land confiscation.

Two lawyers representing activists were freed early this month after serving four months in prison for contempt of court.

Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962. The current junta has promised it would lead the country to democracy but critics say the election will simply endorse military primacy through the ballot box. (AP)

MySinchew 2009.03.20