9 including a sports journal editor sentenced to death

DVB ( 2 December 2003 )

9 people including the editor in chief of ‘First Eleven’ journal were sentenced to death on 28 November by a junta military tribunal over charges of attempted assassination of junta leaders.

Ko Zaw Thet Htway (a) Ko Thet Zaw (Editor), U Aye Myint (lawyer), Zaw Zaw (a) Zaw Myo Thet, Zar Naing Htun (a) Phyu Lay, Ko Ne Win (a) Nai Yetkha, Ko Shwe Mann (a) Zay Yar, Ko Than Htun, Ko Myo Htway and Nai Min Kyi were arrested on 17 July by the military intelligence (MI).

“We, journalists or people at media can be arrested and can be sentenced for death penalty at any time under the military regime. There is no concrete law for us, no law at all”, said an editor in Rangoon.

The First Eleven journal editor, Ko Zaw Thet Htway was a leader of Minbu Township’s Democratic Party for New Society (DPNS) and he was a political prisoner who was imprisoned in Taungoo Prison.

In June, ‘First Eleven’ was warned by the military intelligence (MI) after featuring an article by a ‘Khin Maung Toe’ on the disappearance of $40,000 donation from a world organisation for the improvements of Burmese sporting teams.

There are more than 20 impresioned journalists in Burma including U Win Tin (71), a well known Hantharwarry Newspapre editor.