Two international journalism organizations have added their names to the growing list of groups calling for Burma to end its long imprisonment of journalist U Win Tin.
The Paris-based World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum issued a joint letter Tuesday saying the nearly 17 year imprisonment of U Win TIn constitutes a deep blemish on the international standing of Burma.
The groups say U Win Tin has been deprived of basic human rights and has been denied proper medical care for chronic health ailments. The U.N. special envoy to Burma Paulo Sergio Pinherio also called for U Win Tin's unconditional release and said his detention is severely affecting his health.
U Win Tin turned 76 on Sunday. He was arrested in 1989 and is serving a 20-year sentence for writing anti-government propaganda.