26 April 2006

Alert

Three students face trial for pro-democracy poem, five others released


Incident details

Maung Maung Oo, Zeya, Aung Than

other

(RSF/IFEX) - The authorities have freed five of the seven students from Pegu University (north of Rangoon) who were arrested on 29 March 2006 for publishing a pro-democracy poem, Reporters Without Borders and the Burma Media Association have noted. They were released on 10 April.

But two of the students, Maung Maung Oo and Zeya, are still being held in Pegu prison, according to their families, while a third person, Aung Than, was reportedly arrested in connection with the poem. All three were due to be tried on 25 April for producing an "illegal publication" and face up to seven years in prison.

Reporters Without Borders and the Burma Media Association call for their immediate release.



Source

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