(RSF/IFEX) – On 17 August 1998, Romain Franklin, a journalist for the French daily “Liberation”, was expelled from Rangoon by Burmese authorities. Arrested by plainclothes policemen as he was leaving the headquarters of the National League for Democracy (NLD), he was accused of having illegally entered the country on a tourist visa. Franklin’s film and […]
(RSF/IFEX) – On 17 August 1998, Romain Franklin, a journalist for the French
daily “Liberation”, was expelled from Rangoon by Burmese authorities.
Arrested by plainclothes policemen as he was leaving the headquarters of the
National League for Democracy (NLD), he was accused of having illegally
entered the country on a tourist visa. Franklin’s film and audio tapes were
confiscated. Authorities denied him permission to phone the French Embassy,
and put him on the first plane to Bangkok, Thailand.
**New case, plus further information to IFEX alert dated 18 August 1998**
That same day, Maurizio Giuliano, an Italian journalist based in Belgium,
was denied entry at Rangoon’s airport by military authorities. According to
a report broadcast on TV Myanmar, the reporter had “falsely stated his
occupation as a student on his visa application.” A Burmese official,
referring to foreign reporters travelling in Burma, told Agence France
Presse: “We know they are here. They can come once, they can come twice but
after that they won’t come back again”.
On 18 August, the government accused foreign broadcasters, including Voice
of America, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Radio Free Asia,
of interfering in Burma’s internal affairs by “profusely advocating the
demand of the lady [NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi]”, a Reuters report said.
The statement was published in three government-run newspapers.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
on the situation in Burma, a nation in which seven local journalists are
currently being held in prison
allowed to
pursue its mission in Burma free from the fear of imprisonment, injury or
deportation
Appeals To
His Excellency General Than Shwe
President, State Peace and Development Council
c/o Ministry of Defence
Signal Pagoda Road
Yangon, Union of Myanmar
Telex: 2136
Telegrams: General Than Shwe, Yangon, Myanmar
Fax: +95 1 22 950Lieutenant General Kin Nyunt, Secretary 1
State Peace and Development Council
c/o Director of Defence Services Intelligence (DDSI)
Ministry of Defence, Signal Pagoda Road
Dagon Post Office
Yangon, Union of Myanmar
Fax: +95 1 22 950care of the Burmese diplomatic representative in your country
(in Canada)
His Excellency Dr Kyaw Win
Ambassador of Myanmar
Embassy of the Union of Myanmar
The Sandringham Apartments
85 Range Road, Suite 902
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 8J6
Fax: +1 613 232 6435
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
