Myanmar Court Prosecutes Woman for Facebook Posting

MAUBIN, Myanmar: A court in Myanmar has declined to drop a charge against a young woman accused of poking fun at Myanmar's army chief on Facebook, highlighting the challenges faced by the former dictatorship as it grapples with a social media explosion and other newfound freedoms of expression.

Chaw Sandi Tun, who has been charged with violating junta-era defamation and electronic laws, faces up to five years behind bars. In a session of her trial today, her lawyer unsuccessfully sought to have one of the charges against her dropped.

She joins a growing number of government critics standing trial or in prison since Myanmar started transitioning toward democracy five years ago. It's one of several cases involving the sharing of pictures considered to be insulting to the military.