Detained Burmese bloggers win Cyber-dissident Award
Posted on December 4, 2008
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Zarganar
Nay Phone Latt
Reporters Without Borders has jointly named Nay Phone Latt and Zarganar as winners in the Cyber-dissident category of its annual awards.
Zarganar, a popular Burmese comedian and frequent critic of the military junta has kept a blog since August 2007. Following Cyclone Nargis in May, he defied the junta by taking relief supplies to villagers hardest hit by the storm. He also gave several interviews to foreign media criticizing the junta for their response to the disaster.
Reporters Without Borders noted that until his arrest in June of this year, he had become a reliable source of information in a country strangled by censorship and repression.
Two weeks ago, he was sentenced to 45 years (see: Comedian sentenced to 45 years). He was later sentenced to an additional 14 years (see: Zarganar given additional 14 years).
Blogger Nay Phone Latt was sentenced to 20 years and six months under the Electronic Act (see: Bloggers unite for Nay Phone Latt). The act imposes penalties on anyone who uses the Internet to criticise the government.
Other winners were Cuban journalist, Ricardo González Alfonso, who was named 2008 Journalist of the Year and North Korea’s Radio Free NK, which won the Media Prize.
Reporters Without Borders has awarded the prizes since 1992. The winner in each category receives 2,500 Euros.
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