The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the World Editors Forum have condemned the sentencing of two Burmese journalists to long prison terms and called on the country's military junta to immediately release them and end its continuing attacks on the media.

"We are seriously concerned that the crackdown on sending reports, photos and videos abroad that began in 2007 is intensifying in the run-up to this year's elections," said the global press organisations in a letter to General Than Shwe, Chairman of the Burmese State Peace and Development Council, as the ruling junta is known.

"Around 20 journalists and bloggers have been arrested since then and at least 14 are currently in jail, most of them in very harsh conditions," said the letter. "Under current law, anyone who uses the internet to send information abroad faces prosecution."

Burmese journalist Ngwe Soe Lin was sentenced to 13 years in prison on 28 January for providing reports to the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), a broadcaster based in Norway.

Mr Lin's case follows the sentencing late last year of Hla Hla Win, another alleged DVB reporter, to 20 years in jail for sending reports abroad, and another seven years for using an "illegally" acquired motorcycle.

WAN-IFRA represents more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries. WEF is the organisation within WAN-IFRA that represents editors-in-chief and other senior newsroom personnel.

The full letter said;:

"We are writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers and the World Editors Forum, which represent 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries, to express our serious concern at the jailing of journalist Ngwe Soe Lin.

"According to reports, on 28 January the Rangoon Western District Court sentenced Ngwe Soe Lin to 13 years in jail for providing reports to the Myanmar exile broadcaster Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), based in Norway. He was arrested on 26 June 2009 and charged under the Electronic Act and Immigration Emergency Provisions Act, receiving terms of 10 and three years imprisonment, respectively.

"This follows the sentencing late last year of another alleged DVB reporter, Hla Hla Win, to 20 years' imprisonment for violating the Electronic Act and seven years in jail for using an illegally acquired motorcycle.

"We are seriously concerned that the crackdown on sending reports, photos and video abroad that began in 2007 is intensifying in the run-up to this year's elections. Around 20 journalists and bloggers have been arrested since then and at least 14 are currently in jail, most of them in very harsh conditions. Under current law, anyone who uses the internet to send information abroad faces prosecution under article 33 (A) of the Electronic Law.

"We respectfully remind you that imprisoning journalists for carrying out their professional activities constitutes a clear breach of the right to freedom of expression, which is guaranteed by numerous international conventions, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 19 of the Declaration states: 'Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media, regardless of frontiers.'

"We respectfully call on you to ensure that Ngwe Soe Lin, Hla Hla Win and all others held in detention for exercising their right to freedom of expression are immediately released and that the government's crackdown on the media is halted. We also urge you to take all necessary steps to ensure that in future your country fully respects international standards of free expression."

More WAN-IFRA press freedom protests can be found here.

WAN-IFRA, based in Paris, France, and Darmstadt, Germany, with subsidiaries in Singapore, India, Spain, France and Sweden, is the global organisation of the world's newspapers and news publishers. It represents more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries. The organisation was created by the merger of the World Association of Newspapers and IFRA, the research and service organisation for the news publishing industry.

Learn more about WAN-IFRA at www.wan-ifra.org or through the WAN-IFRA Magazine.

Inquiries to: Larry Kilman, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, WAN-IFRA, 7 rue Geoffroy St Hilaire, 75005 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00. Fax: +33 1 47 42 49 48. Mobile: +33 6 10 28 97 36. E-mail: larry.kilman@wan-ifra.org.