Professional Background
Aung Than is a member of
the National League for Democracy (NLD) and Zeya Aung is a student at
Pegu University. Together they wrote a book of poems called Dawn Mann (The Fighting Spirit of the Peacock).
Case History
On
March 29, 2006, Aung Than and Zeya Aung were arrested near the
Thai-Burmese border town of Myawaddy and charged with “associating with
outlawed organizations” and “illegally crossing an international
boundary.” Six other students were also arrested, reportedly being in
possession of copies of the poems, but released after six days of
interrogation. Maung Maung Oo, a local businessman and the owner of a
workshop where the book was printed, and Sein Hlaing, a textile printer
who allegedly helped distribute the book, were arrested in connection
with the book soon after. These four were tried on April 25, 2006, on
additional charges brought under the 1962 Printers and Publishers
Registration Act, which is Myanmar's main instrument of official
censorship. The act requires all books, magazines, and other forms of
printed and/or literary material to be submitted for screening and
evaluation by the Press Scrutiny Board.
All four were
convicted on June 6, 2006, in a criminal court in Pegu, north of
Rangoon, on charges associated with producing an “illegal publication”
and writing and publishing “antigovernment” poems. They received the
following sentences: Aung Than and Zeya Aung received 19 years in
prison each under the Emergency Provisions Act; Maung Maung Oo, 14
years; Sein Hlaing, 7 years. All have been sent to Myanmar"s notorious
Insein Prison except for Sein Hlaing, who is believed to still be
detained in Pegu.
PEN American Center is concerned for the
safety of Aung Than, Zeya Aung, and their publishers. We seek immediate
assurances of his health and safety, and call for his immediate and
unconditional release if held in violation of Article 19 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Myanmar
is a signatory.
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