PHUKET: A New Zealander and two other men held responsible for improperly displaying a Budhha image promoting a bar in Burma have been sentenced to two-and-as-half years in jail.
Philip Blackwood, who managed the VGastro Bar in Yangon, was arrested in December along with bar owner Tun Thurein and colleague Htut Ko Ko Lwin. The Facebook image that cost them their freedom depicted Buddha wearing headphones and surrounded by psychedelic colors.
The verdict is the latest evidence that Burma's version of democracy is deeply flawed by the continuing ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya and repression of free speech.
In the wake of the harsh sentences, Human Rights Watch said that ''freedom of speech is under greater threat than ever in Myanmar (Burma) just as the country heads into a pivotal election year.''
The International Press Institute is scheduled to hold its World Congress in Yangon later this month.
Having invited Phuketwan journalist Chutima Sidasathian to speak about the treatment of the Muslim minority Rohingya and the Royal Thai Navy's criminal defamation action against she and an Australian colleague, Alan Morison, the IPI withdrew the invitation at the last minute.
It is believed that the organisation, which claims to represent journalists and publishers from more than 120 countries, may have been concerned because the word ''Rohingya'' is banned in Burma.
The government pursues a policy of obliterating the presence of Rohingya in Burma, driving men, women and children to seek sanctuary by setting sail in boats, delivering thousands into the hands of human traffickers.
Of the Buddha poster jail sentences, Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch had this to say:
''That these three men acted in a culturally insensitive way by posting the Buddha with headphones image on Facebook is obvious, but that is nothing they should have been hauled into court for, much less sent to prison.
''What this shows is freedom of expression is under greater threat than ever in Burma (Myanmar) just as the country heads into a pivotal election year.
''The authorities should accept the heartfelt public apology of the three men, vacate the conviction, and order them to be released immediately and unconditionally, and the Religion Act should be amended to bring it into compliance with international human rights standards.''
Philip Blackwood, who managed the VGastro Bar in Yangon, was arrested in December along with bar owner Tun Thurein and colleague Htut Ko Ko Lwin. The Facebook image that cost them their freedom depicted Buddha wearing headphones and surrounded by psychedelic colors.
The verdict is the latest evidence that Burma's version of democracy is deeply flawed by the continuing ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya and repression of free speech.
In the wake of the harsh sentences, Human Rights Watch said that ''freedom of speech is under greater threat than ever in Myanmar (Burma) just as the country heads into a pivotal election year.''
The International Press Institute is scheduled to hold its World Congress in Yangon later this month.
Having invited Phuketwan journalist Chutima Sidasathian to speak about the treatment of the Muslim minority Rohingya and the Royal Thai Navy's criminal defamation action against she and an Australian colleague, Alan Morison, the IPI withdrew the invitation at the last minute.
It is believed that the organisation, which claims to represent journalists and publishers from more than 120 countries, may have been concerned because the word ''Rohingya'' is banned in Burma.
The government pursues a policy of obliterating the presence of Rohingya in Burma, driving men, women and children to seek sanctuary by setting sail in boats, delivering thousands into the hands of human traffickers.
Of the Buddha poster jail sentences, Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch had this to say:
''That these three men acted in a culturally insensitive way by posting the Buddha with headphones image on Facebook is obvious, but that is nothing they should have been hauled into court for, much less sent to prison.
''What this shows is freedom of expression is under greater threat than ever in Burma (Myanmar) just as the country heads into a pivotal election year.
''The authorities should accept the heartfelt public apology of the three men, vacate the conviction, and order them to be released immediately and unconditionally, and the Religion Act should be amended to bring it into compliance with international human rights standards.''
You're confusing freedom of speech with freedom to insult. Using common sense and common decency can go a long way in the world, but unfortunately seems to disappear more and more under more polarized and outspoken, quite often hateful, opinions.
Posted by stevenl on March 17, 2015 15:07
Editor Comment:
I'm not sure who ''you'' is, stevenl, but the point is that two and a half years' jail is an excessive penalty for an unintended insult. Perhaps you think it's fair and reasonable. Perhaps ''you'' missed the point.