Singaporean, Malaysian journalists get two months' jail in Myanmar

This article is more than 12 months old

Nov 11, 2017 06:00 am

NAYPYIDAW, MYANMAR: Four people, including a Singaporean cameraman and a Malaysian producer, were each sentenced to two months' jail in Myanmar yesterday after both pleaded guilty to filming using a drone, in violation of the country's Aircraft Act.

Singaporean Lau Hon Meng, 43, and Malaysian Mok Choy Lin, 47, as well as their local interpreter Aung Naing Soe and driver Hla Tin, were detained on Oct 27 while working on a documentary for Turkish Radio and Television Corporation.

They were accused of trying to use a drone to record video images of the House of Representatives building in the capital Naypyidaw without permission.

According to a Reuters report, defence lawyer Khin Maung Zaw, said: "The detainees admitted that they committed the crime hoping they would only be fined, so it came as a shock when the judge sentenced them to two months' jail."

The lawyer said he would lodge an appeal to reduce the sentence to a fine.

The four have also been charged with another offence under Myanmar's import-and-export law and the hearing for that case will on Nov 16. - THE STRAITS TIMES