Blogger produced before court again

by Phanida

Wednesday, 01 October 2008 14:10

Chiang Mai – A popular Burmese blogger and writer Nay Phone Latt, who had been detained in Insein prison, has once again been produced in court again. The court on Tuesday, held hearings on one of the cases of the many charges against the blogger - under section 505(b) of the Penal Code inducing crime against public tranquillity. The Burmese authorities have dragged the trial of the blogger, which it began since early July. The blogger's mother said a policeman from Rangoon's Bahan police station on Tuesday testified as the prosecution witness. "Without evidences the policeman testified that my son got involved in demonstrations in court," she added. Nay Phone Latt has reportedly been kept in solitary confinement in notorious Insein prison since early July, when the court started hearing his case. He was never allow to move out of the cell, his mother said. "He is disappointed as he is in solitary confinement. Maung Weik [business tycoon] is in the next cell. But he is allowed to go outside of the cell. My son and Zarganar are not allowed to do so. Though he is young, I am worried of his health in the prison environment," she added. Nay Phone Latt was arrested and detained on January 29, and was charged under 505(b) of the Penal Code, section 32(a), 36 of the Video Law and section 33 (a), 38 of the Electronic Law. The hearing was adjourned on Tuesday by the court, which also held hearings on the cases of 35 students of the 88-generation, including Ko Min Ko Naing after there was an argument between the judge and the accused on addressing them as defendants. "The student leaders reacted immediately as soon as the judge referred to them as defendants. They said they are just the accused and could not be referred to as defendants before being formally charged by the court after it hears prosecution and defence witnesses. The court had to adjourn the hearing after that," a family member of one of the 88-Generation Students, Ko Ko Gyi, said. Similarly, other 88-Generation Students, Sithu Maung and six other, were also produced before the court on Tuesday. They were accused of staging demonstrations against a sudden price hike on fuel. Advocate Khin Maung Shein said that they have presented an argument for the discharge of the case against the student leaders, which are made under section 124 (a) of the Penal Code, disaffection towards State and government, as no case against the accused has been made out which would warrant their conviction. "We presented our argument made under section 253 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to consider discharging the accused from the case on hearing the last witness. "The accused have to suffer a lot because of these wrongful charges. So we argued that the accused should be discharged as no case against them has been made out under section 124(a) of the Penal Code," he added. The authorities, however, changed the charges made against the student leaders later from the previous 124(a) of the Penal Code to new charges under sections 505(b), inducing crime against public tranquillity, 143 and 145, unlawful assembly, and 295, insulting religion, of the Penal Code. These student leaders face prison terms ranging from two to a maximum of 8 years if found guilty.   < Prev   Next >