Yangon, Oct 30 (AP) 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 business.

The military is a powerful political force in Myanmar.

Thangyat combines dance and music with verse that often has a satirical edge.

The five were convicted under a law prohibiting the circulation of information that could endanger or demoralise 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." (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)