No response from authorities over the imprisonment of Eleven Media reporter
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It has been two weeks since Loikaw Township Court handed a three-month prison sentence to Eleven Media reporter Ma Khine after she was convicted of three offences, including trespassing on private property, on December 17.
Eleven Media Group (EMG) filed a public complaint with the president, the speakers of the Union Parliament and Upper House of parliament, the Union chief justice and the chairperson of the Rule of Law and Peace and Stability Committee, urging them to conduct an investigation into the case. However, EMG has yet to receive a response.
Mya Min Han, the deputy judge of Loikaw Township Court, sentenced the reporter to simultaneously serve a three-month sentence under Penal Code Section 451 for trespassing, a one-month sentence under Section 294 (b) for using abusive language, and another one-month sentence under Section 500 for defamation.
“The public complaint dated December 19 was covered in The Daily Eleven and it was also sent to the [various authorities].
“But no response has been forthcoming. There is no such case in any other country in which a reporter has been sued and imprisoned for trespassing on private property while covering a news story,” said Wai Phyo, chief editor of The Daily Eleven.
“We also expect something of a response from the rule of law committee chairperson, Aung San Suu Kyi. It is because the plaintiff is the chairman of Loikaw District National League for Democracy under her opposition party.
“A reporter for The Ladies Journal also covered this case under the pen name of Pyay Lwin Myint.
“The news included court statements and trials. It is noteworthy how easily they collected those facts, which are only concerned with the defendant and plaintiff. Why wasn’t an investigation panel established, if the judicial process and the judge were correct? We once again demand a fair investigation.”
The World Association of Newspapers and news publishers (WAN-IFRA) have submitted a request letter to President Thein Sein, while the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have released statements respectively to voice their objections.
The Myanmar Journalists Union, PEN Myanmar, and journalists from Mandalay have also objected to the imprisonment of Ma Khine. The Associations for Writers and Journalists from Myawady Township have also condemned the reporter’s imprisonment in their statement.
The Myanmar Journalists Network plans to stage a protest on January 7.
