The new government of Burma has started releasing political prisoners, but on May 10, one free-speech advocate will face another farcical day in court.
Twenty-four-year-old poet Maung Saungkha first came to public attention for a poem he posted to his Facebook page in October 2015. One section of the poem, called “Image” – cited in an adoring profile of the poet in The New Yorker – says, “On my manhood rests a tattooed portrait of Mr. President. My beloved found that out after we wed. She was utterly gutted, Inconsolable.”
Then-President Thein Sein’s spokesperson, Zaw Htay, was the first to call for the prosecution of the poet on social media (although the charge was filed by a senior police officer in Rangoon). Zaw Htay has been retained by the new government as a presidential spokesperson. When he heard of the charges filed against him, Maung Saungkha went into hiding (he asserts he does not actually have a tattoo on his penis). Though his poem was an attempt at humor and protected speech under international law, Maung Saungkha was arrested in November and charged with transmitting defamatory messages in violation of section 66(d) of Burma’s Telecommunications Law. (Courtesy of hrw.org)
No comments:
Post a Comment