ENGLISH DEYEA NEWS

by The The | New Delhi (Mizzima) – A person was sentenced to six months in prison for just reading a letter sent to the junta supremo to his younger brother who is being held in Insein prison for joining the saffron revolution during his prison interview and visit.

The letter requested Snr. Gen. Than Shwe for granting permission for medical treatment to the political prisoners.The letter was sent to ICRC, UNHCR and NLD including Snr. Gen. Than Shwe on January 14.

During a prison visit to his brother on January 22, Ko Thant Zin Oo read out this letter to his younger brother Hlaing Thar Yar Township NLD member Thant Zin Myo who was serving a 19 year sentence.

He was arrested on 31 January and charged under section 42 of Burma's Jail Manual (BJM), bringing unauthorized documents into the prison.

"On that 22nd the jailor himself came and looked into this problem and took no action against him. But he was arrested on 31st and released on bail. We learnt the he was charged with section 42 of BJM," he said.

The letter was brought into the prison after being checked thoroughly many times by the jail authorities before he entered for the prison interview.

One of the four prosecution witnesses admitted in court that they permitted him to bring this letter into the prison.

The opposition political community said that Insein Court additional judge Daw Baby read out the directive given to them by Home Ministry mistakenly on the bench on March 28. This directive instructed the judges to give severe and deterrent punishment to the accused in this case, opposition political circles said.

Ko Thant Zin Oo is currently being held in Insein prison.