- Journalist Danny Finster was sentenced to 11 years in prison in Myanmar.
- He faces a second trial for sedition and terrorism.
- In his first trial, he was sentenced for illegal association, inciting opposition to the army, and violating visa regulations.
His colleague told Agence France-Presse that an American journalist who was imprisoned by the Burmese military government for 11 years was humble and active, and was inspired by George Orwell’s anti-authoritarian writings because he was facing a second sedition and terrorism. Trial.
According to a local monitoring organization, Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military dismissed the Aung San Suu Kyi government in February and launched a bloody crackdown. According to the local monitoring organization, the crackdown has caused more than 1,200 deaths and the media is also in trouble. .
Read | American journalist Danny Finster jailed for 11 years in Myanmar
According to Reporters Without Borders, the military government’s war on dissidents has allowed Myanmar to surpass Saudi Arabia and North Korea in terms of imprisoning journalists. Since February, only China has had more imprisonment.
Danny Fenster worked in the border area of Myanmar for about a year and was arrested in May while trying to leave the country to visit his family.
Last week, a court in Yongsheng Prison in Yangon sentenced him to 11 years in prison for illegal association, incitement to oppose the army and violation of visa regulations. His lawyers and the US government called these allegations unfounded.
“The most positive person in the room”
Danny “has always been one of the most positive people in the room,” said Andrew Nahemson, a friend of Finster and a colleague at the Myanmar border.
“He doesn’t need to be the center of attention…he doesn’t need a lot of credit,” said Nachemson, who left Myanmar in April for fear of his safety.
Fenster is very happy to work behind the scenes as Frontier’s executive editor. He said that shaping and perfecting the local reporter’s copy has earned the media a respectable reputation.
Nahemsen said:
Everyone who worked with him only said the best things to him… He was really just a warm and friendly person, very popular in the office.
The two became friends while hiking, swimming and kayaking outside Yangon on the weekend, and they moved there to report on Myanmar’s transition to democratic rule.
Nahemsen said that even though the economy is booming and democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi regains political power, the country is still plagued by issues that many people “don’t want to talk about.”
“People like Danny want to talk about the fact that reporters are still being arrested, and Rohingya are still being killed,” he said.
“He cares very much about the truth and opposes authoritarianism.”
Nahemsen added that Finster was a “big fan” of George Orwell’s writings-he helped the British Burmese authorities brutally monitor dissent and create the truth nearly 100 years ago.
American Diplomacy
Fenster’s arrest on May 24 sparked outrage from press freedom groups and ignited censorship, intimidation, and propaganda that feared that the military government would return to the former military government.
Nahemsen said the 11-year sentence — after a quick trial in Finster’s prison where he has been detained since May — was “unpleasant”.
“It’s very frustrating because it feels so unfair, think about it,’what if he really spent 11 years in prison?'”
Fenster’s contact with the outside world is limited to visiting his partner and talking on the phone with his family.
The only way for Nahmsen to reach his friend, who is believed to have contracted Covid-19 while in custody, was by letter.
Nahemsen said that he would not be surprised if the military government “uses Finster as a hostage” in its dealings with the United States. The United States has imposed sanctions and played a leading role in condemning the coup.
Other foreign journalists detained by the military government have been detained for a shorter period of time, including fellow American Nathan Maung, who was released in June two weeks after his arrest in Finster.
He said Maung was “shocked” and “angry” when he heard the verdict last week.
Maung said that U.S. diplomacy was a factor in his release, and he hopes Fenster can do the same.
“We hope to reach some kind of settlement,” Nahemsen said, although he added that he is not optimistic.
He fears that worse things are yet to come, because his friend is preparing to be tried for terrorism and sedition.
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