US condemns sentencing of American journalist in Myanmar

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US sharply condemned on Friday the sentencing of an American journalist to 11 years in jail in Myanmar, calling it an "unjust conviction."

Danny Fenster, the 37 year-old managing editor of Yangon-based magazine Frontier Myanmar, was convicted by a military court of incitement and violating unlawful association and immigration laws, according to his magazine.

State Department spokesman Ned Price said Fenster's sentencing is "an unjust conviction of an innocent person."

"The United States condemns this decision. We are closely monitoring Danny’s situation and will continue to work for his immediate release," he said in a statement. "We will do so until Danny returns home safely to his family."

Fenster was arrested at Yangon International Airport on May 24 while trying to leave for the US, with the Myanmar military accusing him of working for Myanmar Now, another news outlet headquartered in Yangon.

His trial was held at Yangon’s Insein Prison and was closed to the public, Frontier Myanmar said in a statement, describing the verdict as “the harshest possible under the law.”

“Danny resigned from Myanmar Now in July 2020 and joined Frontier the following month, so by his arrest in May 2021 he had been working with Frontier for nine months,” the magazine said. “The court disregarded a significant amount of evidence of his employment at Frontier, including tax and social security records and testimony from a Frontier employee.”

The Myanmar military, known as the Tatmadaw, detained dozens of journalists after protests erupted throughout the country against its Feb. 1 seizure of power.

According to a local monitoring group, the junta has also killed more than 1,200 civilians since it seized power.

Fester will also face “two additional charges, under the Counter-Terrorism Law and section 124(a) of the Penal Code, that will be heard separately,” read the Frontier Myanmar statement.