New Delhi – Two defense lawyers who are representing National League for Democracy (NLD) members were sentenced today by the Northern District Court to six month prison terms for "interrupting judicial proceedings".

Defense lawyers Ko Nyi Nyi Htwe and Ko Saw Kyaw Kyaw Min, who represented clients Ko Yan Naing Tun and two other Kemmendine Township NLD members being held in Insein Prison, were themselves sentenced to prison terms today. However Ko Saw Kyaw Kyaw Min failed to appear before the court.

Opposition sources said that they were given prison sentences for replying to the court that their clients could behave as they wished during the court's proceedings after the presiding judge had asked the defense lawyers to tell their clients to sit down and stop talking back to the court. 

"Today Ko Nyi Nyi Htwe came alone. Ko Saw Kyaw Kyaw Min didn't come. The Northern District Court judge sentenced them to six months imprisonment," lawyer Khin Maung Shein, who was present at the proceedings, told Mizzima.

The Northern District Court judge sent a summons to Ko Saw Kyaw Kyaw Min on the 28th of October, saying that he had been charged under section 228 of the Penal Code and informing him to come and face trial on the 30th.

Similar pressure is being directed against other defense lawyers representing clients in political cases.

Khin Maung Shein said he was also threatened by a judge to take care when recently attending a political case at a Sanchaung Township court hearing; otherwise he would be sentenced to a prison term.

"The Sanchaung Township court judge threatened me yesterday, saying I could be sentenced to a prison term for interruption of judicial proceedings and told me to take care in handling the case," he explained.

"These are just instances of framing wrongful charges in these political cases," said Ko Tate Naing, General Secretary of the Thai-based Association for Assistance to Political Prisoners (AAPP) in Burma.

"They have seen defense lawyers representing clients in political cases as enemies for a long time. They have held prejudices and hatred against these lawyers for a long time too. They are trying to threaten other would-be defense lawyers and to ward them off these cases," he added.