Mizzima: Women writers under attack

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Women Writers in the Year 2000: increasingly under attack

March 2, 2000
Mizzima News Group

London-based WiPC names Daw San San Nweh, Burma's short story writer and
novelist as one of the women writers who have faced persecution by the
state authorities for their fight for freedom of expression. The WiPC
(Writers in Prison Committee, International PEN) cited names of some
women journalists who have faced persecution and who were especially
active in campaigning for women rights in its Special Action for
International Women's Day, 8 March 2000. Daw San San Nweh is serving ten
years' imprisonment for her staunch criticism of the military
government. Her daughter, Mo Mo Tun is in jail with her on similar
charges.

"When women do emerge as articulate and eloquent writers, they quite
often use their talents to champion human rights; and the result is
often that they are threatened, banned, jailed, prosecuted - or even
murdered," said in its special action which was released on March 1.

Out of 700 writers in prison, whose names International writers'
organization PEN was able to list, there are about 50 women writers.
"This does not mean that women are less likely to be persecuted for
their writing than men - if anything the contrary is true, when one
considers that for every male writer or journalist in most developing
countries, there are very few women," continued the WiPC.

According to WiPC's statement, other women writers who have faced
persecution include Turkish celebrated woman journalist Nadire Mater who
has been charged with insulting the military in Turkey for her book
Mehmet's Book, which has also been banned. She is facing a hearing of
her trial on International Women's Day. In the book, Mater presented
moving testimony from Turkish soldiers who had served in the country's
troubled southern region, which is mainly populated by Kurdish
inhabitants.

Another woman in Turkey whose case PEN is investigating is that of Asiye
Güzel Zeybek who was brutally raped while in custody under interrogation
at the Istanbul Security Security Directorate Political Department. She
is accused of connections with the far-left Marxist-Leninist Communist
Party.

These women and some fifty others are currently on PEN's list of women
writers imprisoned, charged, threatened, attacked, tortured, disappeared
or killed.

In its Special Action for International Women Day, 2000, the WiPC has
honoured three women journalists who have shown particular courage in
fighting for women's human rights in their communities. They are: Konca
Kuris from Turkey, who was killed, Flora Brovina from Serbia, who is
imprisoned, and the third, Irene Fernandez from Malaysia, who has been
dogged for years by an endless trial that may soon end in her detention
also.