Fifa asked to explain its actions on Zaw Thet Htwe

Delegates at Play the Game today decided to ask FIFA what action the organisation had taken when Burmese journalist Zaw Thet Htwe was sentenced to death because he published articles questioning how the Burmese Football Federation had spent money from FIFA’s Financial Assistance Programme. In a resolution approved by media professionals and sports leaders from 50 countries, the delegates asks:

• What action did FIFA take in case of the arrest, secret trial and death sentence of Zaw Thet Htwe?
• Has FIFA taken any steps to discover how FIFA grants have been spent in Burma since the first payment in 1998?

Zaw Thet Htwe’s death sentence was commuted to time in jail after a campaign led by Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders. From sports organisations, however, there has so far been no official reaction to the case of Zaw Thet Htwe. Delegates encouraged FIFA to respond by 5 pm Tuesday.