Mizzima
The professional membership of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) has issued a statement condemning the recent sentencing of Shin Daewe, an award-winning Burmese documentary maker, to life imprisonment for allegedly violating Myanmar’s anti-terrorism law.
The FCCT issued the statement on 12 January.
“Known for her work highlighting the challenges facing Myanmar’s environment and the impact of conflict on civilians following the military’s 2021 coup, the 50-year-old Shin Daewe was arrested on Oct. 15 in Yangon’s North Okkapala township,” her husband Ko Oo told Radio Free Asia Burmese.
Ko Oo said there were signs his wife had been tortured during her detention and interrogation.
“Shin Daewe’s case was heard by a secret military tribunal, during which she was refused the right to legal representation. She was handed the maximum sentence under section 50(j) of life in prison on Wednesday [10 January],” RFA reported.
She was sentenced to life imprisonment on 10 January.
The FCCT said disregard for basic standards of justice is tragically once more on full display. The FCCT’s professional membership calls for the immediate release of Shin Daewe and all other Burmese journalists detained for going about their normal professional activities. They are not terrorists.
