Taungup: An activist from Taungup, in Arakan, has been sentenced to five years in prison for having contacts with exiled Burmese media in Bangladesh, according to his colleague.

Ko San Lwin, aged 42, who belongs to Kai Shay Village in Taungup Township, was arrested by the Sarafa, the army intelligence agency, on January 2, during a raid. Three days later, he was sentenced to five years in prison.

"A Sarafa team raided his house at midnight on January 2, arrested him and seized a digital camera and some documents. He was brought to the local Sarafa office for interrogation after his arrest. Three days later he was sentenced to five years in prison," his colleague said.

The verdict was given by Taungup Township judge U Kyi Min Soe on charges of the accused having contacts with media organizations in Bangladesh.

"He was sentenced without any legal representation and his family members had no chance to attend his court trial," the colleague added.

Ko San Lwin was sent to Thandwe Prison after being sentenced.

In a similar case, a businessman from Maungdaw on the western Burmese border, was arrested by the Sarafa in December last year on accusations of having connections with exiled media. He is still being detained at the police lockup in Maungdaw without trial.