BBC’s Aung Thura was detained and thereafter released on March 23, 2021
By Nava Thakuria*
Reporters, photo journalists, camera persons are being targeted by the military junta for covering the public unrest in Myanmar. Around 40 journalists had been detained and half of them were still behind bars till date in the country.
Presently, most of the Burmese journalists are working from hideouts to avoid the assaults from the military personnel. Their offices remain locked as many media outlets have faced the cancellation of registrations by the authority. Now the scribes and young social media users have taken the responsibility to raise voices against the atrocities of military rulers from undisclosed locations inside and outside of Myanmar, often termed as the Golden Land of Pagodas.
Update: As 25 of March (13:00 PM), 48 #Journalists, covering the protests against military Coup and junta, have been detained.#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar
Source via Detained Journalist information #Myanmar Facebook Group pic.twitter.com/BVIQkDFmZW— Kyaw Hsan Hlaing (@kyawhsanhlaing1) March 25, 2021
Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the Switzerland based non-profit organization focusing on press freedom and safety, while welcoming the recent release of journalist Thein Zaw from detention in Myanmar (earlier known as Burma) after three weeks on March 24, strongly condemned today, the ongoing violence and restrictions imposed on media outlets, internet users in the southeast Asian country.
Also read: Myanmar’s Tatmadaw using grenades on civilians including children, say eyewitnesses
Working with Associated Press (AP), Zaw was arrested on February 27, 2021 for covering a protest against the military junta that has grabbed the power in NayPieTaw on February 1, this year. He had to observe his 33rd birthday inside Insein Prison of Yangon, a notorious place for detaining political prisoners for decades. Even though he was charged with violating public orders, the court dropped all charges stating that the AP scribe was doing his job at the time of arrest.
“PEC is relieved that Thein Zaw has been freed from the prison, but additional journalists there remain detained. We urge Myanmar authority to release all journalists and allow them to report freely and safely on what is happening inside the country. After all, these acts of intimidation must stop and freedom of expression must be fully restored,” said Blaise Lempen, secretary-general of PEC.
Myitkyina, Kachin State:
A male journalist from Kachin Waves & a female journalist from The 74 Media abducted by Terrorists (#Myanmar security forces). They both were beaten when they said they are journalists, not protesters.
JUNTA MASSACRE#Mar29Coup#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar
— Kyu Kyu Thinn (@Kyukyuthinn0) March 29, 2021
Since the first week of February, Myanmar continues to witness a series of protest demonstrations by common Burmese under the civil disobedience movement. Called by the jailed National League for Democracy (NLD) chief Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to oppose the armed forces (known as Tatmadaw), which overthrew a democratically elected government alleging voting frauds, the movement is now spread across the country.
After 47 days of coup in #Myanmar, about 40 journalists have been detained and license of 5 news medias have been revoked illegally.
Release all the detained journalists. Stop silencing our voices!
SUPPORT FEDERAL DEMOCRACY#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar
#Mar20Coup pic.twitter.com/eyErlS2BSx— KouKi (@Az3Nc3nbcVPIu8a) March 26, 2021
Amidst the military crackdowns over the peaceful demonstrators for a comprehensive multi-party democracy in Myanmar, senior journalist Soe Myint, who leads Mizzima Media, commented that the military personnel must go back to their barracks.
Participating virtually in a recent session of Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) on Myanmar crisis, Myint asserted that it is now a frontal war between the Tatmadow and common Burmese people (and no longer remains as military verses NLD/ Suu Kyi).
“We apprehended this kind of adverse situation (read military coup) and were ready to face the consequences. However it is always our duty to report about our country and citizens irrespective of any circumstance or its aftermath,” said Myint, who edits both English and Burmese version of Mizzima newspapers, free-to-air Mizzima TV, digital daily newspapers, adding that he may be arrested tomorrow by the military or even get killed by their thugs, but he can not surrender to the military junta.
Moderated by Gwen Robinson, FCCT president and editor-at-large of Nikkei Asia, the session comprised speakers Sonny Swe (co-founder and publisher of Frontier Myanmar), Thiha Saw (veteran journalist and former editor Myanmar Times), Cape Diamond (freelancer), Poppy McPherson (Reuters Myanmar bureau-chief), Jonathan Head (BBC southeast Asia correspondent) among others, where Myint admitted that he may go for exile once again in the neighbouring countries (including India) if the situation demands.
*PEC’s India, Southeast Asia representative
