Burmese court jails 6 opposition members

Officials were held after '07 protests

October 25, 2008|Associated Press

RANGOON, Burma - A court in this military-ruled country handed down prison sentences yesterday to six opposition party members who were arrested after last year's prodemocracy demonstrations, a party spokesman said.

A Mandalay court convicted the six of creating public alarm and promoting hatred, and sentenced them to prison terms ranging from two to 13 years, said Nyan Win, a spokesman for the National League for Democracy.

Prodemocracy protests raged across the country in September 2007 before they were violently crushed by the army, leaving at least 31 people dead, according to the United Nations. Thousands of people were arrested.

The party is led by detained Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

"A special court inside Mandalay Oakpho prison sentenced all six NLD members today," said a relative of defendant Win Mya Mya, a prominent organizing committee member of the Mandalay branch of the party, often referred to by its initials.

The relative, who asked not to be named to avoid the attention of the authorities, said the activists were tried before a special court in proceedings that began in August. Family members were not allowed to attend.

International human rights groups say Burma's junta now holds more than 2,100 political prisoners, compared with nearly 1,200 in June 2007, before the prodemocracy demonstrations.

The opposition party was founded in 1988 after an abortive prodemocracy uprising, and since then has faced nearly constant harassment from the ruling military.

After the party's candidates won the most seats in a 1990 general election, the military refused to let it take power.