Nearly 50 politicians and prodemocracy activists \u2014 including the head of Magway region and members of the deposed National League for Democracy (NLD) \u2014 have been sentenced to long-term imprisonment by the junta\u2019s secret military tribunals in Myanmar over the past two days, according to sources.<\/P>
The two-day period marked one of the most severe crackdowns on the junta\u2019s opposition in the nearly 11 months since the military seized power from the NLD in a Feb. 1 coup and drew condemnation from observers.<\/P>
Former Magway region Chief Minister Aung Moe Nyo, 60, was handed an 18-year prison term on six counts of \u201ccorruption\u201d related to projects during his tenure on Thursday, while two of his Cabinet members received terms of nine and 12 years for the same charges. The speaker of Magway region\u2019s Parliament was also sentenced to six years in prison on two counts of corruption, prosecutors told RFA\u2019s Myanmar Service.<\/P>
Similarly, the secretary of the NLD, which the military removed from power in a Feb. 1 coup, as well the treasurer of the party\u2019s Central Elections Committee and a member of its Central Executive Committee were all sentenced to two years in prison. The speaker of Mandalay region\u2019s Parliament was handed a five-year sentence, according to sources close to the court who spoke on condition of anonymity.<\/P>
Other sentences included a one-year term for a student leader and a three-year term for a former student activist who took part in protests in the 1990s.<\/P>
Lawyers said Min Thwe Thit, a student leader, was sentenced to one year in prison and Aye Aung, a former university student from1996-98, was given a 3-year prison sentence.<\/P>
Aung Moe Nyo\u2019s lawyer Myint Aung told RFA that his client had no plans to appeal his sentence, which followed the conclusion of a special trial in Magway Prison two months ago, \u201cas it wouldn’t make any difference.\u201d<\/P>
A political colleague in Magway who has worked with Aung Moe Nyo since Myanmar\u2019s 1990 election told RFA that accusations of corruption were \u201ctotally out of the question\u201d for the former regional chief.<\/P>
\u201cIt\u2019s meant to break him psychologically,\u201d said the colleague, who declined to be named.<\/P>
Aung Moe Nyo\u2019s brother, Aung Thu Nyo, called the sentencing \u201cpolitically motivated\u201d because he believes that his sibling was free of corruption.<\/P>
The military had already sentenced Aung Moe Nyo to two years in prison in June for speech that \u201cis likely to cause fear or alarm in the public,\u201d bringing his total punishment to 20 years. He has yet to face trial on two counts related to \u201cabuse of power\u201d during the country\u2019s November 2020 general election, which the NLD won in a landslide.<\/P>
The junta says voter fraud led to the party\u2019s victory but has yet to provide evidence for its claims and has violently suppressed nationwide protests calling for a return to civilian rule, killing 1,382 people and arresting 8,331 since February, according to the Bangkok-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.<\/P>
Other sentences<\/P>
In addition to the punishments doled out to politicians on Thursday, two well-known actors \u2014 Lu Min and Ye Dike \u2014 were sentenced to three years in prison with hard labor each for \u201cdefamation\u201d a day earlier by a court in Yangon\u2019s notorious Insein Prison, according to a lawyer close to the proceedings. Lawyers also told RFA that 40 political activists detained at Pyay Prison in western Bago region were also sentenced to between one and two years in jail by a court on Wednesday evening.<\/P>
Political analyst Than Soe Naing criticized the military for handing out tough sentences to political activists in various prisons at a time when people preparing to welcome in the new year.<\/P>
\u201cIt\u2019s like a warning to \u2026 all democratic forces who oppose their views: that the junta will not tolerate any opposition,\u201d he said.<\/P>
\u201cThough amnesties are [sometimes] granted, those who could cause trouble for [the junta] will not be released. \u2026 I think they will continue to detain people who stand up for democracy.\u201d<\/P>
<\/P>
Copyright \u00a9 1998-2016, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036Radio Free Europe–Copyright (c) 2015. RFE\/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036. <\/P>
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Nearly 50 politicians and prodemocracy activists \u2014 including the head of Magway region and members of the deposed National League for Democracy (NLD) \u2014 have been sentenced to long-term imprisonment by the junta\u2019s secret military tribunals in Myanmar ov…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n