(RSF/IFEX) – RSF and the Burma Media Association (BMA) have protested the 12 July 2005 arrest of press cartoonist Chit Swe, who is also deputy chairman of the National League for Democracy’s (NLD) Thanlyin branch. His arrest came shortly after a meeting of members of the NLD, the party headed by Aung San Suu Kyi, […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF and the Burma Media Association (BMA) have protested the 12 July 2005 arrest of press cartoonist Chit Swe, who is also deputy chairman of the National League for Democracy’s (NLD) Thanlyin branch.
His arrest came shortly after a meeting of members of the NLD, the party headed by Aung San Suu Kyi, held on the morning of 12 July at Chit Swe’s home in Thanlyin, near the capital, Rangoon. Even though the meeting was legal, the authorities arrested the cartoonist under a law designed to curb criminal activity.
“The latest wave of releases of political prisoners – more than 300 in total – should not blind us to the reality of the crackdown on opposition figures,” RSF and the BMA said. “At least 12 democracy activists have been arrested over the past two weeks. The detention of Chit Swe is a serious violation of freedom of expression.”
The cartoonist is being held at Thanlyin’s police station. On 25 July, he will learn what charges are being laid against him. If convicted, he could face a heavy prison sentence. If he is released, he faces a possible ban on publishing his cartoons, or at the very least surveillance by the Censorship Bureau.
Chit Swe, aged 65, is forced to sleep on the concrete floor of his cell. He suffers from tonsillitis and acute bronchitis that prevent him from eating normally.
Chit Swe’s cartoons, carried by the Rangoon financial magazines “Dana Magazine” and “Myanmar Dana Magazine”, are used to illustrate the country’s socio-economic problems. He has also published cartoons in several other publications, such as “Shou Hwet Thae Pho”, “Moe Gyow” and “Ngwe Taryee”. He is respected within press circles as a talented artist.
