Myanmar authorities sentence Kanbawza Tai News journalists to 3 years in prison
On December 10, a court in the Shan state prison of Nyaung Shwe Taung Lay Lone sentenced editor Nang Nang Tai, reporter Nann Win Yi, and publisher Tin Aung Kyaw each to three years in jail under Article 505(a) of the penal code.
Article 505(a) criminalizes "any attempt to spread false news, agitate directly or indirectly against a government employee," or “any actions that cause disloyalty to the military and government.”
After covering protests against the country's February 1 coup, the three journalists were all arrested March 24, 2021, at their homes in Hopong, Shan state. All of them had been in pretrial detention since their arrests.
Kanbawza Tai News is an independent news website that covers politics and general news in Shan state and it has more than 600,000 followers on Facebook.
Myanmar's military junta has cracked down on independent media outlets since its democracy-suspending coup on February 1, 2021, and has detained dozens of journalists.
Myanmar is the world's second-worst jailer, holding at least 26 journalists behind bars.
* This article contained information that was sourced from the Committee to Protect Journalists.
