Myanmar Sentences Comedian To 45-Year Sentence For Helping Cyclone Victims

[babylonsister]

Myanmar Gives Comedian 45-Year Sentence for Cyclone Comments

By SHARON OTTERMAN
Published: November 21, 2008


A secret court run by Myanmar’s military leadership on Friday sentenced a prominent Burmese comedian and activist to 45 years in prison, continuing a recent crackdown on dissidents.

The comedian, U Maung Thura, 47, better known by his stage name Zarganar, or the Tweezers, was detained in June after he organized a private assistance effort to help victims of the May cyclone, which killed more than 130,000 Burmese. With aid organizations and Western governments, he criticized Myanmar’s handling of the disaster.

Mr. Maung Thura’s conviction was handed down by a court in Insein prison in Yangon, where many political prisoners are held. He was found guilty of violating several statutes, including the Electronic Act, which regulates all forms of electronic communication in the country. The act has increasingly been used by the ruling junta to justify long prison sentences against democracy advocates and others.

His prison term may be further lengthened Monday when the court considers additional charges against him.

“He got 45 years for only three charges. More sentences will be passed on four remaining charges on Monday,” his sister-in-law, Ma Nyein, told Reuters.

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/22/world/asia/22myanmar.html?ref=todayspaper

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Holy crap! How much $ aid is the US govt giving to the Myanmar govt??

[Occam Bandage]

5. $0.

Our post-cyclone aid was done through direct USAID action and NGOs like the UN World Food Program. Our annual foreign aid ($3M) to Myanmar is directed at student groups, out-of-country groups, and other groups generally opposed to the junta.

[brentspeak]

2. Good grief. I hope some international effort gets underway to have him freed.

[Occam Bandage]

3. Your headline is a bit inaccurate.

He was imprisoned for speaking against the government after he organized a relief group. Still wrong, but not quite the same.

[babylonsister]

4. The gov't forbids electronic communication, which he used to try to

organize relief efforts. Seems to me the title, which I found on HuffPo, is accurate.

[babylonsister]

6. .

[babylonsister]

7. I'm surprised that almost no one gives a poop. 45 YEARS? nt

[readmoreoften]

8. What a jerk.

How is a dictatorship supposed to rule with comedians running around helping people?

Q: Why haven't we 'liberated' the people of Burma yet?
A: Their despots are right-wing and they have no oil.

Ba bump dump. Take my wife, please. (No god, please don't take her! Please!)

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This :sarcasm: was brought to you by the letter WHY and in solidarity with the comedian Zarganar