Aug 22, 2008 (DVB), The parents of one of the leaders of the All-Burmese Federation of Student Unions, Ko Sithu Maung, have been sentenced to six years' imprisonment by Hlaing township court for obstructing police investigations.

U Peter and Daw Nu Nu Swe, who are both in their 50s, were found guilty of three charges, including harassing officers on duty and inciting a riot in their ward.

The couple was arrested in October last year after they delayed answering the door to police who came to their house looking for their son.

In their defence, U Peter and Daw Nu Nu Swe testified in court that the police had knocked on their door late at night with no warrant and had not been accompanied by local officials and so they had not let them in at first because they did not know who they were.

But the court found them to have acted illegally and handed down six-year prison terms to the couple.

Ko Sithu Maung was arrested on 9 October last year from a safehouse along with two other ABFSU leaders.

He is now in Insein prison awaiting trial.

Reporting by Htet Aung Kyaw