Myanmar court gives actors 1-year jail term for satire

A court in Myanmar has sentenced five members of a traditional theatrical troupe to a year in prison for their gibes about the military. The members of the Peacock Generation thangyat troupe were arrested in April for performances during celebrations of Myanmar's traditional new year in which they poked fun at military representatives in parliament and military involvement in the business.

The military is a powerful political force in Myanmar. Thangyat combines dance and music with a verse that often has a satirical edge.

The five were convicted under a law prohibiting the circulation of information that could endanger or demoralize members of the military. The human rights group Amnesty International called the verdict by a Yangon court "appalling" and said it showed the "dire state of freedom of expression in Myanmar."