Call for the Release of Call for the Release of Nay Phone Latt‏

Dear Friends, On Tuesday, April 27, PEN awarded the 2010 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award to imprisoned blogger and poet Nay Phone Latt, who is currently serving a 12-year sentence in Burma. We are now asking you to show your solidarity with Nay Phone Latt by writing a letter to the military junta demanding his immediate and unconditional release. At 29 years old, Nay Phone Latt spoke to his fellow citizens and the outside world about the aspirations and frustrations of Burma’s youth. He was arrested in Rangoon on January 29, 2008, following the crackdown on the so-called Saffron Uprising in the autumn of 2007. On November 10, 2008, he was sentenced to 20.5 years in prison for his blogging activities, a sentence that was reduced to 12 years in February 2009. He is currently being held in Pa-an Prison in Karen State, 135 miles from Rangoon. When Nay Phone Latt learned that he was being honored with the Freedom to Write Award, he was able to dispatch a message from his prison cell that said, “This award is dedicated to all writing hands which are tightly restricted by the unfairness and are strongly eager for the freedom to write, all over the world.” Please join the chorus of voices that are speaking up for Nay Phone Latt by sending a letter calling for his release. Visit PEN’s simple letter-writing page, and urge five friends to take action by passing along the link. Learn more about Nay Phone Latt’s case by visiting www.pen.org/nayphonelatt. Thank you, as always, for taking action on behalf of our imprisoned colleagues. Sincerely, K. Anthony Appiah President, PEN American Center Unsubscribe rawfkolkata@live.com from this list. Update your information. PEN American Center | 588 Broadway, Suite 303 | New York, NY 10012 | (212)