ENGLISH DEYEA NEWS

Phanida | Chiang Mai – Burma's authorities on Tuesday remanded Eint Khaing Oo, a reporter of a Rangoon based Weekly Journal 'Ecovision', who was arrested while stories on the woes of cyclone survivors, without being hearing her case.

While the court has fixed today for the hearing her case at Tamwe township court in Rangoon, the court adjourn and remanded her, after the defence counsels of her co-defendant Kyaw Kyaw Thant request the judge to allow them to study the case for some more time. Then the case was remanded again and the next hearing is fixed for July.

"They were produced before the court. This is the second time. We submitted the power of attorney signed by our client. We requested the judge for giving us more time to study the case as we are preoccupied with many cases in the divisional court. The judge agreed and fixed another date," Khin Maung Shein, the defence counsel told Mizzima.

A young journalist, Eint Khaing Oo, was arrested in front of the UNDP office in Rangoon's Natmauk Road of Tamwe Township, while gathering information on the woes of cyclone survivors, who have come from North Dagon Township to Rangoon to approach international aid agencies for help.

Kyaw Kyaw Thant was also arrested along with her on the same day and has now been charged in the same case.

On June 10, several cyclone survivors from North Dagon Township marched to Rangoon with a determination to approach INGOs for some help. But they were stopped by the authorities on their way.

Eint Khaing Oo and Kyaw Kyaw Than were charged under section 505 (b) of Criminal Code, that is crime against public tranquility, which is punishable by imprisonment of up to two years if convicted.

"They didn't commit any crime under this section. Eint Khaing is a reporter and she was doing her job. And the news was true and she didn't send fabricated news to other news agencies. But we don't know what will happen in court. Maybe there are other case grounds and other circumstances," lawyer Khin Maung Shein said.

Ecovision journal was first published in September 2006 with 48 pages. Initially, the journal mainly covered on economic issues but later included domestic and international news, health issues and other articles.

In such 'Reporters Vs Junta' case, Thet Zin, editor-in-chief of a local journal Myanmar Nation, and his administrator Sein Win Maung were produced before the court yesterday.

The two were arrested on February 15, and are charged with section 17/20 of the Publishing Act. Though they were produced before the court, the witnesses were not examined, a defendant lawyer Pho Phyu said.

The editor-in-chief and administrator of the Myanmar Nation Weekly were arrested for possessing a copy of Human Rights Report by Mr. Pinheirro, the UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Burma, a book titled 'Let's build unbreakable federal union' written by Burmese veteran politician Shwe Ohn, and documentary VCDs of September Saffron Revolution.

The Military Affairs Security (MAS – military intelligence) personnel who raided the Myanmar Nation Journal office also banned publishing of the journal.