Britain to urge Myanmar to hear act

[maye@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Britain to urge Myanmar to hear activist's appeal

"Britain to urge Myanmar to hear activist's appeal"

[ABC news.com, 20.9.99]

BANGKOK, Sept 20 (Reuters) - The British embassy in Yangon  said on Monday
it would urge military-ruled Myanmar this week to  waste no time in hearing
a British woman's appeal against a  seven-year jail term for a pro-democracy
protest.
British ambassador John Jenkins is due to see Yangon's  Deputy Foreign
Minister Khin Maung Win on Wednesday to raise  concerns about the handling
of the cases against Rachel Goldwyn  and James Mawdsley, a British man
jailed for 17 years, also for  pro-democracy activism.

"He will be raising the British government's shock at the  severity of the
sentences and concerns about the way the cases  were handled, particularly
over legal representation and  consular access," the embassy official said.

"We will be asking again for at least monthly access to  both of them and
for Rachel's appeal to be heard as soon as  possible," the official added.

Goldwyn's lawyer at her trial last Thursday said the  28-year-old human
rights worker would appeal. She was sentenced  on Thursday after a solo
protest the previous week that the  court ruled was a danger to state
security.

She had tied herself to a railing in central Yangon and sung  a
pro-democracy song and democracy slogans.

An appeal must be filed within 90 days but the process can  take months to
complete.

The British consul spoke to the Foreign Ministry on Monday  to seek access
to Goldwyn as soon as possible to discuss the  appeal. Her lawyer, Kyi Win,
said he hoped to file the appeal  next week.

Political analysts in Myanmar say Goldwyn could have her  sentence suspended
if the appeal is successful and be deported  since it was her first offence.

She has been held at Yangon's notorious Insein Jail where  many political
prisoners have been detained in the past. The  British embassy, after being
allowed to see her before the  sentencing, said she was being well-treated
and was in good  spirits.

Mawdsley, a 26-year-old from Lancashire who also has an  Australian
passport, was jailed on September 1 after crossing  into northeast Myanmar a
day before with pro-democracy leaflets.

The government has said it could not be lenient with him as  it was his
third arrest for similar protests in Myanmar. He  served 99 days of a
five-year sentence for illegal entry last  year before being deported on
condition he never return.

He was being held in jail in the remote northeastern town of  Kengtung,
where British and Australian officials saw him last  week for the first time
since his arrest. He appeared well.