La Commissione per i Diritti Umani Asiatica (AHRC) è preoccupata per la sorte dei giornalisti implicati nella vicenda riguardante le notizie che avevano divulgato in un giornale Birmano. “Unity Journal” il 25 Gennaio 2014 secondo il quale una struttura militare in Magway è stata utilizzata per la realizzazioni di armi chimiche.

I reporter sono stati accusati per presunte violazioni di segreti di stato,scattando fotografie della struttura stessa senza autorizzazione e l’aver pubblicato l’articolo senza prima ottenere l’approvazione..

Gli uomini arrestati hanno presentato documenti comprovanti che stavano solo cercando di acquisire informazioni relative alla confisca di terreni da parte dei militari.

Inoltre, le modalità del loro arresto, detenzione e accusa non è proceduralmente corretto. Secondo la Burma Official Secrets Act 1923 , la polizia ha bisogno di un ordine del ministro degli Interni per indagare.

Dopo l’indagine, se la detenzione è necessaria la polizia ha bisogno di permessi rilasciati da un tribunale prima di procedere all’arresto Tuttavia, i giornalisti sono stati arrestati durante il periodo in cui l’ufficiale dell’esercito ha presentato una denuncia contro di loro. Il Ministro degli affari interni ha emesso l’ordine di arresto dopo 14 giorni il loro arresto.

Non esistono prove che la fabbrica in questione costituisce una struttura che dovrebbe essere soggetta a “segreto di stato”.

Per prima cosa, è ancora in costruzione e anche gli edifici non sono stati ancora terminati. La gente del posto e gli agricoltori hanno dichiarato che nessun cartello o una notifica è stato posto in prossimità della fabbrica e l’area della fabbrica non è un luogo vietato.

I lavoratori della fabbrica non possiedono alcun documento che attesti la loro situazione lavorativa. Inoltre,gli abitanti passano vicino alla zona di fabbrica di tutti i giorni senza alcun tipo di restrizioni sui loro movimenti.

Ci sono delle leggi ben precise che regolano il settore delle aeree e delle fabbriche soggette a “Segreto di Stato”

Tre degli accusati, Paing Thet Kyaw, Si Thu Soe e Lu Maw Naing sono state estorte con la forza confessioni dai militari e successivamente sono state presentate agli inquirenti

La moglie di Lu Maw Naing, Ma Lwin Lwin Myint, è stata anche temporaneamente arrestata quando andò a fargli visita in carcere.

Nonostante le mutate condizioni politiche in Myanmar, ancora molti giornalisti e scrittori si trovano ad affrontare azioni legali nei loro confronti per non fare nulla di diverso dalla loro professione , esercitare il diritto alla libera espressione Per esempio, Ma Khine, un
giornalista di * Media Eleven *, è stato condannato al carcere su una storia di presunta corruzione giudiziaria accusandola di interferire con i doveri del personale di servizio pubblico.

Il giornalista di Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) Ko Zaw Phay e genitori dei bambini della scuola che hanno tentato di ottenere informazioni sulla scelta di borse di studio per andare in Giappone all’ufficio scolastico regionale di Magway sono stati condannati a un anno di reclusione.

* Azione richiesta *:

Si prega di scrivere una lettera per chiedere la liberazione dei cinque uomini accusati a:

1. Lt-Gen. Ko Ko
Ministro per gli Affari interni Ufficio No. 10
Naypyitaw ,MYANMAR
Tel: +95 67 412 079 / 549 393/549 663
Fax: +95 67 412 439

2. U Thein Sein ,Presidente del Myanmar
Il presidente dell’Ufficio Ufficio No.18
Naypyitaw ,MYANMAR

3. U Tun Tun Oo
Chief Justice Ufficio della Corte Suprema
Ufficio No. 24
Naypyitaw ,MYANMAR
Tel: + 95 67 404 080 / 071/078/067 o + 95 1 372 145
Fax: + 95 67 404 059

4 .. Thura U Aung Ko
Presidente Pyithu Hluttaw della commissione giudiziaria e legislativa
Ufficio Pythu Hluttaw
Naypyitaw ,MYANMAR

5. U Aung Nyein
Presidente Pyithu Hluttaw della commissione giudiziaria e legislativa
Comitato per i reclami pubblico e gli appelli
Ufficio del Amyotha Hluttaw
Naypyitaw ,MYANMAR

6. U Win Mra
Presidente della Commissione Nazionale dei Diritti Umani del Myanmar
27 Pyay Street,Hlaing Township
Yangon ,MYANMAR
Tel: +95-1-659 668
Fax: +95-1-659 668

7. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

Presidentessa Pyithu Hluttaw dello Stato di diritto e del Comitato Tranquillità Comitato

Ufficio del Pyithu Hluttaw ,Naypyitaw MYANMAR

* I nomi delle persone perseguitate: *

1.U Tint San 52 anni (figlio di U Thein Tun), direttore esecutivo * Unità
Journal *

2.Thae Yazar Oo 28 anni (Figlio di U Thein Maung Gyi),

3.Paing Thet Kyaw (aka) Aung Thu Ya 25 anni (Figlio di U Aung Ko Lwin),

4.Si gio Soe di 22 anni (figlio di U Win Hlaing),

5.Lu Maw Naing (aka) Lin Kyaw Oo (aka) Lu Maw 28 anni (Figlio di U Maung
Maung Kyi), Giornalista per le aree rurali

* I nomi delle persone coinvolte nel perseguimento: *

1. Ten. Colonnello Kyaw Kyaw Oo, Serial No. Kyi/28299, No. 24 Materiale Difesa
Fabbrica, Myar Pine Village Tract, Pauk Township, Magway Regione

* Caso penale: * Numero 4/2014, Pakkoku Corte Distrettuale, sotto la Birmania
Official Secrets Act 1923

Esempio di lettera:

SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear ………………,

MYANMAR: Executive Director and Journalists of the Unity Journal prosecuted for alleged leaking of state secrets
Names of persons being prosecuted:

1.U Tint San aged 52 (Son of U Thein Tun), Executive Director of Unity Journal
2.Thae Yazar Oo aged 28 (Son of U Thein Maung Gyi), Senior Journalist
3.Paing Thet Kyaw (a.k.a.) Aung Thu Ya aged 25 (Son of U Aung Ko Lwin), Senior Journalist
4.Si Thu Soe aged 22 (Son of U Win Hlaing), Senior Journalist
5.Lu Maw Naing (a.k.a.) Lin Kyaw Oo (a.k.a.) Lu Maw aged 28 (Son of U Maung Maung Kyi), Journalist for rural areas
Names of persons involved in prosecution:

1. Lt-Colonel Kyaw Kyaw Oo, Serial No. Kyi/28299, No. 24 Defence Material Factory, Myar Pine Village Tract, Pauk Township, Magway Region
Criminal Case: No. 4/2014, Pakkoku District Court, under the Burma Official Secrets Act 1923

I am very concerned to hear that the army in Burma has brought a case against a news journal director and four journalists because they had published an article alleged to have violated the law on state secrets.

According to the information that I have received, after the Unity Journal on 25 January 2014 published an article alleging that a military facility in Pauk Township of Magway Region was being used for the making of chemical weapons, the officer responsible for the factory, Lt-Col. Kyaw Kyaw Oo brought a criminal case against the journal director and reporters for allegedly breaching state secrets, taking photographs of

the facility without permission, and publishing the article without first obtaining approval.

However, the case contains a great many problems in law as well as in violation of human rights. Briefly, these problems include the following:

1. According to the Burma Official Secrets Act 1923, the police need to investigate first by order of the Minister of Home Affairs. After investigation, if detention is necessary the police need permission from a concerned court to arrest with warrant. However, the journalists had been arrested during the period when the army officer made a complaint against them, which is opposed to the provisions of the law. The Minister of Home Affairs gave an order to prosecute under sections 3 and 5 of the Burma Official Secrets Act (Letter No.PaHtaYa/2-6/Oo) only some 14 days after the men had already been arrested.

2. According to the Burma Official Secrets Act Section 2(8) “any place belonging to or used for the purpose of the State which is for the time being declared by the President of the Union, by notification in the Gazette, to be a prohibited place for the purposes of this Act on the ground that information with respect thereto or damage thereto, would be useful to an enemy, and to which a copy of the notification in respect thereof has been affixed in (Burmese) and in the (language of the locality, if any)”. Under the terms of this section, the concerned factory is not a place subject to this law at all. The factory is still under construction and even the buildings have not been finished yet. Local people and farmers said in court that no signboard or any notification near the factory area states that the area of the factory is a prohibited place. The factory workers also don’t have any employee cards given by the factory. Moreover, according to the testimony of Colonel Htet Wai Aung, the Security Officer of the factory, the factory didn’t produce any weapons till now and it is still under construction. Workers from the factory are from the Asia Metal Company, and the villagers pass near the factory area everyday, whereas the published photos of the factory were taken far from the factory.

3. Three of the accused, Paing Thet Kyaw, Si Thu Soe and Lu Maw Naing were all forced by the military to confess and their confessions have been submitted to court. Lu Maw Naing’s wife, Ma Lwin Lwin Myint, was also temporarily detained when she went to visit him in prison.

4. The arrested men were not sending any secret documents by spying to other powerful countries. They were merely trying to acquire information concerning land confiscating by the military, Myanmar Police Force, ministries, the army holding company, and businessmen.

The contents of the published article reflect this orientation and it should be obvious to any fair-minded person that they do not deserve to be punished.

In view of these and other flaws in the current case, I urge that the prosecution of these five persons be ceased and the media in Myanmar is able to report openly and without fear of intimidation or prosecution.

In this regard, I regret to note that despite the changed political conditions in Myanmar, still many journalists and writers are facing legal actions for doing nothing other than exercising their right to free expression. For instance, Ma Khine, a journalist with Eleven Media, was sentenced to jail over a story of alleged judicial corruption by accusing her of interfering with the duties of public service personnel. Journalist with the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) Ko Zaw Phay and parents of school children who tried to get information on choosing scholarship awards to go to Japan from the Magway Regional Education Office also were sentenced to one year’s imprisonment.

Lastly, it seems profoundly obvious yet necessary to add that the Burma Official Secrets Act 1923 is not up to date anymore and that it ought to be revoked or significantly amended to be made consistent with Myanmar’s new era of political and social change, and not to enable people who would prefer that the country remain stuck in the past to use it as a weapon against persons legitimately exercising the freedom of expression.

Yours sincerely,

English version:

BURMA: Journalists prosecuted because of article about army and the petition ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME :