Burmese Activists Sentenced To 65-Year Jail Term

Press Release: Terry Evans

12 November 2008

Burma's junta continued its brutal suppression of the country's pro democracy movement yesterday, handing down prison sentences of 65 years each to 14 members of the 88 Generation Students group.

The activists were all involved in last year's anti-junta protests, led by Buddhist monks. The demonstrations resulted in a violent crackdown by the army, leaving hundreds dead and thousands missing.

The dissidents were sentenced in a court convened in Rangoon's notorious Insein prison, which holds many of the country’s political prisoners. The condemned members of the 88 Generation Students showed defiance in the face of the draconian sentences shouting "We will never be frightened.” Others shouted: “Free Burma!”

Burma's ruling junta now holds more than 2,100 political prisoners, compared with nearly 1,200 in June, 2007, before the pro-democracy demonstrations.

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