5 April 2007

Alert

Court acquits retiree of "incitement against public" over satirical article posted on fence


Incident details

Thein Zan

acquitted
(SEAPA/IFEX) - A retiree, who had posted on his fence a biting satire he had written, slamming inflated prices of essential commodities in Burma, has been acquitted of inciting others to commit offences against the public.

Thein Zan, 65, who was arrested on 7 March 2007 but granted bail on 28 March, said Justice Khin Soe Nyunt of the Thingyankyun Township Court announced the decision on 2 April, while he was waiting for his lawyer to appear before the court.

"The judge told me that I was no longer charged under Article 505 of the Penal Code," Thein Zan told Mizzima News, a SEAPA partner based in New Delhi, India, over the telephone.

Thein Zan, a retired sailor and resident of Thingyankyun who earns a living by repairing radios and audio tape recorders, was arrested after he posted on his fence an article entitled "Is that so, Maung Karlu?", in which he criticised the false news propagated by the state-run newspaper "Myanma Ahlin".



Source:

Southeast Asian Press Alliance
Unit 3B, Thakolsuk Place
No. 115 Terddumri Road
Dusit, Bangkok 10300
Thailand
seapa (@) seapa.org
Phone: +66 2 243 5579
Fax: +66 2 244 8749
 

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More on this case

Retiree released on bail, still faces charges for lampooning state-controlled newspapers 2 April 2007 Retiree arrested for posting satirical criticism against state-run newspapers 9 March 2007

Burma

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