The demonstration, organized by the Myanmar Journalists' Network, began with a morning rally in downtown Yangon before the protesters marched several kilometres through the city to the Eleven Media Group offices.
The protesters, clad in black T-shirts bearing the slogan in Myanmar and English, 'Right to Information is the Life of Democracy', and chanted slogans including 'Media freedom is the lifeline of democracy' and 'We demand a fair and independent judiciary'.
The demonstration follows a three-month jail sentence imposed on Daily Eleven reporter Ma Khaing by a court in the Kayah State capital, Loikaw, on December 17.
Ma Khaing was sentenced to three months' jail for trespassing in a house, one month for defamation and one month for abusive language, to be served concurrently.
The reporter was working on a story about corruption when she was arrested in Loikaw after charges were filed by a lawyer whom she had interviewed on October 27.
Ma Khaing testified that she had been invited into the lawyer's home for the interview and she denied the charges of using abusive language and defamation.
MJN secretary U Myint Kyaw said legal experts regarded the conviction to be wrong under the law.
"She should not have been given such a harsh sentence," he told Mizzima.
http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/journalists-demand-media-freedom-condemn-jailing-of-reporter/
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