Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10RANGOON5
2010-01-07 09:50:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rangoon
Cable title:
BURMA: COURT EXTENDS SENTENCE OF REPORTER,
how-toVZCZCXRO2270 OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH RUEHTRO DE RUEHGO #0005 0070950 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 070950Z JAN 10 FM AMEMBASSY RANGOON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9719 INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2371 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 5868 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 9431 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 7056 RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 2391 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2799 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000005
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, DRL, AND IO
PACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/06/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: COURT EXTENDS SENTENCE OF REPORTER,
ASSOCIATE
Classified By: Political Officer Marc Shaw for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 000005
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, DRL, AND IO
PACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/06/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: COURT EXTENDS SENTENCE OF REPORTER,
ASSOCIATE
Classified By: Political Officer Marc Shaw for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)
1. (C) An EMBASSY source confirmed media reports that a
Pakkoku District court added two decades to the seven-year
prison sentences of Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) reporter
Hla Hla Win and her associate, Myint Naing. The two
initially were arrested in September 2009 and subsequently
sentenced in October 2009 to seven years each by a Pakkoku
Township court for riding a motorcycle that had not been
properly registered. They reportedly had visited a monastery
to interview monks shortly before being arrested.
2. (C) On December 31, 2009, the district court added 20
more years to Hla Hla Win's term for violating the Electronic
Transactions Act, and tacked on eighteen years to Myint
Naing's sentence for two unspecified charges. Lawyers were
not permitted into the courtroom during the hearings,
according to the Embassy's source.
3. (C) Although Hla Hla Win reportedly is a supporter of
the democracy movement, our source indicated she is not a
high-profile activist or student leader. Likely, her
participation in the 2007 monk-led demonstrations and her
reporting for DVB brought her to the attention of the
authorities.
DINGER
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, DRL, AND IO
PACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/06/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: COURT EXTENDS SENTENCE OF REPORTER,
ASSOCIATE
Classified By: Political Officer Marc Shaw for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)
1. (C) An EMBASSY source confirmed media reports that a
Pakkoku District court added two decades to the seven-year
prison sentences of Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) reporter
Hla Hla Win and her associate, Myint Naing. The two
initially were arrested in September 2009 and subsequently
sentenced in October 2009 to seven years each by a Pakkoku
Township court for riding a motorcycle that had not been
properly registered. They reportedly had visited a monastery
to interview monks shortly before being arrested.
2. (C) On December 31, 2009, the district court added 20
more years to Hla Hla Win's term for violating the Electronic
Transactions Act, and tacked on eighteen years to Myint
Naing's sentence for two unspecified charges. Lawyers were
not permitted into the courtroom during the hearings,
according to the Embassy's source.
3. (C) Although Hla Hla Win reportedly is a supporter of
the democracy movement, our source indicated she is not a
high-profile activist or student leader. Likely, her
participation in the 2007 monk-led demonstrations and her
reporting for DVB brought her to the attention of the
authorities.
DINGER