Rev. Danny Fisher

The Associated Press is reporting that the very venerable U Gambira, one of the principal organizers of last year’s “Saffron Revolution,” and celebrated comedian Zarganar are the latest of Burma’s democracy activists to be issued harsh prison sentences by the junta as they crack down hard on past demonstrators. Both are looking at just short of seventy years behind bars. Around one hundred others have been given similar sentences. The AP continues:

Three associates were tried with [Zarganar]. Sportswriter Zaw Thet Htwe and video journalist Thant Zin Aung were given 15 years each and face further charges, while Tin Maung Aye got 29 years, Zarganar’s lawyer said.

[...]

[Others] sentenced recently included some 70 members of the opposition National League for Democracy party of detained Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

Some of the most severe sentences were handed to 23 members of the 88 Generation Students group, veteran activists who have been spearheading nonviolent protests for the past several years.

On Thursday, well-known hip-hop singer Zeyar Thaw, a member of the band “Acid,” was jailed for six years, and 14 members of Suu Kyi’s party got 2 1/2 years each for calling for her release on her birthday in June, party spokesman Nyan Win said.

Zeyar Thaw is thought to be a leader of Generation Wave, an illegal student group formed in the wake of last year’s pro-democracy protests.