A court in Taunggok Township, Arakan State, yesterday sentenced a lone protester to four years imprisonment hours after he was arrested for displaying a placard demanding the excommunication from the Buddhist faith of junta leader Snr-Gen Than Shwe.
Soe Win is the first arrested demonstrator to be sentenced since the start of the protest demonstrations on August 19. More than 150 demonstrators including members of the 88 Generation Students group, have so far been arrested and are being held in undisclosed locations.
The severe sentence handed out to Soe Win was described as “injustice and unlawful” by
Khin Hla, a leading member of the opposition National League for Democracy’s office in Taunggok Township, in a phone interview with The Irrawaddy.
Soe Win walked the 20 miles from his home in Sar Pyin village to Taunggok to stage his solo demonstration, in which he also called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other detained opposition leaders.
The NLD office said it believed Soe Win would be sent to Than Dwe prison in Arakan State to serve his sentence.
Two NLD members who were also arrested for demonstrating in Taunggok against the recent price rises and appealing for greater job opportunities were freed after five days. Taunggok NLD had demanded their release.
Khin Hla said local authorities had sealed off routes into Taunggok to prevent outsiders entering the town and staging protest demonstrations. “The Taunggok authorities seem really afraid of people demonstrating,” he said.
Soe Win is the first arrested demonstrator to be sentenced since the start of the protest demonstrations on August 19. More than 150 demonstrators including members of the 88 Generation Students group, have so far been arrested and are being held in undisclosed locations.
The severe sentence handed out to Soe Win was described as “injustice and unlawful” by
Khin Hla, a leading member of the opposition National League for Democracy’s office in Taunggok Township, in a phone interview with The Irrawaddy.
Soe Win walked the 20 miles from his home in Sar Pyin village to Taunggok to stage his solo demonstration, in which he also called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other detained opposition leaders.
The NLD office said it believed Soe Win would be sent to Than Dwe prison in Arakan State to serve his sentence.
Two NLD members who were also arrested for demonstrating in Taunggok against the recent price rises and appealing for greater job opportunities were freed after five days. Taunggok NLD had demanded their release.
Khin Hla said local authorities had sealed off routes into Taunggok to prevent outsiders entering the town and staging protest demonstrations. “The Taunggok authorities seem really afraid of people demonstrating,” he said.
