Myanmar blogger jailed for 20 years

NEW DELHI, INDIA: A blogger in Myanmar was sentenced to 20 years and six months in jail by the military junta on Monday as part of a fresh crackdown on dissidents in the country.

A court in Rangoon's Insein prison awarded 15 years jail term to blogger Nay Phone Latt, 28, under the Electronics Act, two years for “creating public alarm” and three and a half Aye Than, the mother of Latt, said her son was a computer expert and he has not violated any criminal law to be given 15 years' imprisonment under the Electronics Act.

During the September 2007 uprising, Latt’s blogs had provided invaluable information to the world outside about the happenings in the military ruled country.

He had also reportedly published a cartoon mocking the military ruler. A poet named Saw Wai was also given two years’ imprisonment for publishing a poem mocking the military leader Than Shwe.

The poem titled ‘14th February’, was apparently a Valentine’s Day verse published in January but the first word of each line spelt out a message about the military ruler: Power Crazy Senior General Than Shwe.

Saw Wai was charged with harming “public tranquility”. There are over 2,000 political prisoners in Myanmar jails, for raising their voice against the military junta.