Burma blogger jailed for 20 years

It’s a never ending story it seems.
Freedom of speech is already a sharp two sided sword in Western countries.
But in Asia and the Middle East you don’t have it.
Simple as that.

When you are a blogger and one with a critical mind at that, you can easily get into trouble.

This time it’s a young man from Burma, who reported during the uprising in 2007 via his blog.

A Burmese blogger has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for posting a cartoon of the military leader Than Shwe.

Nay Phone Latt was arrested in January; the sentence delivered on Monday included 15 years for offences under the Electronics Act, two years for “creating public alarm” and three and a half years for offences under the Video Act, his mother said.

Full article on BBC

And he’s not the only one. And not only in Burma.

Gifts and Cards by NicoleB

Tags: arrest, blog, blogger, blogging, burma, democracy, demokratie, freedom of speech, jail, nachrichten, news

by NicoleB
2008-11-11. 08:10:48. 146 words, 957 views. Categories: Newsbits , 10 comments » • Send a trackback »

Trackback address for this post

Trackback URL (right click and copy shortcut/link location)

10 comments

Comment from: Scriber's Web [Visitor] · http://scribersweb.blogspot.com/

The situation in Burma is just too sad for words.

I love the photo. Amazing composition!

2008-11-11 @ 13:36

Comment from: lceel [Visitor] · http://louceel.blogspot.com

Have I told you I love that long, long hair of your? and your eyes ....

2008-11-11 @ 14:07

Comment from: lceel [Visitor] · http://louceel.blogspot.com

This morning, listening to the BBC World Service while driving to work, I heard the story of how 14 dissidents in Burma, people who have spoken out in favor of Democracy, have each been sentenced to 65 years in prison. I guess it doesn't pay to have an opinion in Burma. Especially should it differ from the official position of the government. We are so lucky.

2008-11-11 @ 15:02

Comment from: NicoleB [Member]

· http://nicoleb.org

It makes me wanna cry every time, Lou.
Especially when it hits bloggers for (normally) no reason

But like I said before, we might be luckier than the ones in those countries, but you gotta still watch out what you say. Even in our oh so civilzed Western world XX(

2008-11-11 @ 15:19

Comment from: NicoleB [Member]

· http://nicoleb.org

Thank you both for the compliment on the pic - and older one from my last try to go for the 365 days project.
The 3 apes.
I don't exactly like the way my eyes look on this one - maybe too much vino

2008-11-11 @ 15:21

Comment from: april [Visitor] · http://cologneblog.wordpress.com/

That's such a terrible thing. and there are communities, e.g. f.ck.r that give information about critical people to the regimes. That happened some time ago with Chinese dissidents.

2008-11-11 @ 19:00

Comment from: NicoleB [Member]

· http://nicoleb.org

That sucks

But then again, when you are in a country like that you need to take a lot of precautions when you make things public.
You can't just open up a blog with your own email from your home server, or use a certain image hosting site to post critical stuff.

I would have never ever written things overly critical while in Kuwait. Hell no.
And punishment there is harmless compared to most other countries, but I don't want to test it. Thanks.

I don't know, it's a shitty world we live in in that regard

2008-11-11 @ 19:20

Comment from: Øyvind [Visitor] · http://oyvind.hoysater.no

It hurts to read things like this. And it hurts even more thinking about all the cases not getting known.

The rest of the world should react stronger on this, but we're chickens. Money rules..

2008-11-11 @ 23:51

Comment from: Lisas Chaos [Visitor] · http://lisaschaos.com

I guess I'm lucky to live where I do, thanks for reminding me.