Myanmar: journalist sentenced to prison with hard labour
The National Union of Journalists has joined the International Federation of Journalists in condemning the three-year sentence of Sithu Aung Myint by Myanmar’s military junta.
On 7 October, Myint was sentenced to three years in prison with hard labour for “inciting government employees to commit crimes.” He faces additional charges under Section1 24 (a) of the penal code for ‘defamation of the state’ carrying up to life in prison.
Myint is an outspoken critic of Myanmar’s military junta and has reported on several political and social issues, working for outlets including SkyNet, Frontier Myanmar and Voice of America’s Burmese service.
The IFJ has reported an increase in allegations of defamation and incitement against journalists and last month, the NUJ condemned the imprisonment of Htet Htet Khine. The union is calling on authorities to end the persecution of journalists.
The IFJ said:
“Under Myanmar’s military junta, journalists have faced increasingly stringent censorship, attacks, harassment, arbitrary detainment and imprisonment for their independent and critical reporting. The IFJ condemns the arrest and sentencing of Sithu Aung Myint and calls for his immediate release from prison.”