ASIA: Burma activists jailed for 65 years each
11 Nov 2008 9:18 PMRANGOON, Nov 11 AFP - Twenty-three pro-democracy activists arrested in anti-junta demonstrations in Burma last year were today sentenced to 65 years each in jail by a special court, a family member said.
The activists were sentenced in a closed-door hearing at the notorious Insein prison on the northern outskirts of the military-ruled country's commercial hub of Rangoon.
"Altogether 23 activists were sentenced today at Insein prison. They were sentenced to 65 years each," a family member told AFP on condition of anonymity.
A spokesman for the opposition party of detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi confirmed that at least 14 activists were sentenced to 65 years buthad no further details.
In neighbouring Thailand, a group that defends political prisoners in Burmasaid that 14 of those sentenced were members of the 88 Generation, a term applying to students who led an uprising 20 years ago that was crushed by the military with the loss of an estimated 3,000 lives.
Many of them served years in jail.
"The sentence (today) was handed down at around 1pm behind closed doors in Insein prison special court.
"Family members were not allowed to attend the hearing," the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) said in a statement.
Some 88 Generation members started new demonstrations in Rangoon in August 2007 after the authorities abruptly hiked fuel prices.
Dozens of them were arrested.
The following month, Buddhist monks took up the leadership of the protests,which were again subject to a brutal crackdown.
According to the United Nations, 31 people were killed.
Today's sentences come a day after a prominent Burma blogger arrested afterthe anti-junta protests last year was jailed for 20 years while a poet wasgiven two years behind bars.
AFP jj =0A