New Delhi – Continuing a series of handing down long prison terms to dissidents, Burma's military authorities on Monday sentenced two members of Generation Wave (GW), a youth dissident group, to eight years of imprisonment each.

Moe Thwe, a member of GW, told Mizzima that his colleagues – Tin Myo Htut (a.ka. Kyaw Kyaw Oo) and Saw Maung – who were arrested in September of this year, were charged under the Emergency Immigration Act 13/1 and the Illegally Forming Associations Act 17/1, being sentenced to eight years each by the Kyi Myin Dine court.

Tin Myo Htut, a resident of Insein Township, was arrested on September 3 near a teashop on Bayintnaung Street in downtown Rangoon. But it is still uncertain as to the exact details of Saw Maung's arrest.

GW, in a statement on Wednesday, warned that suppressing activists by sentencing them to long prison terms will not solve problems or conflict, but will only give rise to stronger forces of protest.

GW was formed following the September 2007 uprising by a group of politically aware youth with an aim to continue political activities.