Myanmar opposition claims MP jailed

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Myanmar opposition claims MP jailed by junta

YANGON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Myanmar's (Burma's) main opposition party said the
ruling military government had jailed an opposition parliamentarian for a
township in northeastern Kayin state. 

Three opposition members had also been detained in another township, the
National League for Democracy (NLD) said in a statement late on Tuesday. 

The MP, Nan Khin Htwe Myint, was arrested at Thaton Station in the
southeastern Mon state on February 10 while travelling to a political meeting.

She was given a two-year jail term in a closed trial and sent to a prison in
Mon on February 11, the NLD said. 

The MP had earlier had an argument with intelligence officers when they
searched her belongings. 

``The authorities arrested her in Thaton on February 10 and sentenced her to
two-year imprisonment under Section 353, charging her for disturbing public
servants on duty. There was no witness and lawyer at her trial,'' the NLD
said. 

Three other party members from Pathein Township were detained by police after
making a report that their party and the national flags hoisted at the local
NLD office had been stolen on Union Day on February 12. 

A government spokesman told Reuters that legal action had been taken against
the NLD members. 

``It is learnt that legal action had been taken against these persons a week
ago by the relevant township courts for the crime they had committed,'' he
said without elaborating. 

He also said that the NLD had released the news to coincide with the visit of
the Chairman of the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), Senior
General Than Shwe, to the Philippines and create embarrassment for the
government. 

Than Shwe left on Tuesday for a three-day visit to the Philippines where he
was greeted by protests from those opposed to military rule in Myanmar. 

The military junta and the NLD have been at odds over the government's curbing
of NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi's political activities and constraints on
overall opposition activity, along with human rights issues. 

The NLD swept to victory in an election in 1990 but the military ignored the
result and has ruled Myanmar since. ^REUTERS@