Hla Hla Win turns 27 today, August 29 2011. She was sentenced on September 11 2009, just after the anniversary of the 2007 Saffron Revolution, after being arrested for interviewing a monk in a monastery in central Burma. Two years ago, Hla Hla Win, was arrested and sentenced to 27 years in jail for doing her job as a journalist.To call on the release of Hla Hla Win, the 17 DVB VJs as well and the 1995 political prisoners in Burma, an international action will take place on Friday September 9 2011.
The Free Burma VJ campaign calls on the public and concerned people to rally in front of the Burmese embassy in Bangkok on Friday September 9, at 10am, to call for their immediate release. On this occasion, the Free Burma VJ campaign will deliver a letter to the Burmese Ambassador in Thailand carrying this request.
On the same day, in Paris, London and Geneva, Info Birmanie, Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders, the Fédération International des ligues des Droits de l’Homme (FIDH), Burma Campaign UK and the Suisse section of Reporters Without Borders will protest in front of the Burmese embassies of their country, to call on Hla Hla Win's release.
A democracy doesn't keep its journalists behind bars and respects basic human rights: including those of freedom of expression, freedom of information and association. The ceaseless harassment on journalists by the Burmese authorities proves that democracy in Burma remains a distant prospect for those journalists in jail.
Fédération Internationale des Droits de l'Homme
Free Burma's Video Journalists
Pictures 2011/09/09 Paris © Amnesty International France