http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=323378&version=1&template_id=45&parent_id=25
Publish Date: Friday,30 October, 2009, at 10:33 PM Doha Time Myanmar arrests journalists, activists Myanmar authorities have arrested up to 50 people including journalists, political activists and students in a security crackdown this month in its biggest city, a Thailand-based human rights group said yesterday. The arrests include 10 journalists along with a number of opponents to Myanmar's ruling military junta, said Bo Kyi, co-founder of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a group of former detainees who track those behind bars. "It's not clear why they were arrested. Their families were not given an explanation," said Bo Kyi. Witnesses said the arrests coincide with a tightening of security across Yangon in recent days with a larger police presence on streets, more security check-points, police car-searches and tougher security at Buddhist monasteries. Two years ago, the junta suspected monks of coordinating the biggest pro-democracy protests in 20 years, leading to a crackdown in which at least 31 people were killed. At least seven people including two journalists were arrested by police and military intelligence officials at their homes around midnight on Tuesday, family and friends said. They included Thant Zin Soe, an editor of local private weekly magazine, and Paing Soe Oo, a freelance reporter. The other five are university students in Yangon. The seven are members of "Linlat Kyei", a group which helps survivors of last year's Cyclone Nargis, which killed nearly 140,000 people. "We just don't know why they were arrested and their present whereabouts," said one source in Yangon, who asked not to be identified in fear of reprisals. Reuters [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
