Three Narinjara News Agency reporters taken by police for interrogation

By DMG 31 Mar 2020

DMG News Desk
31 March, Sittwe

Police searched the Narinjara News Agency’s office in Sittwe on Tuesday evening and took three journalists in for questioning, according to the Arakan State-based media outlet.

Senior reporter Thein Zaw and two of his junior colleagues, Aung Lin Tun and Tun Khaing (Taung Yin Kyun), were taken into custody at about 5 p.m. and police also seized two computers, said Ni Min Tun, a reporter for the news group.

“A team of 10 people including an administrator, the Criminal Investigation Department, Special Branch Police and local police searched the office for about 30 minutes. They asked questions of U Khaing Myat Kyaw [the Narinjara editor-in-chief] and other editors,” Ni Min Tun said.

Ni Min Tun said the reason the reporters were taken by police was not known but the newsroom raid came after DVB reported that the editor-in-chief of Narinjara had been charged under the Counter-Terrorism Law.

DVB said U Khaing Myat Kyaw was charged under section 50(a) and 52(a) of the Counter-Terrorism Law for publishing an interview conducted with the Arakan Army spokesperson Khaing Thukha.

DMG phoned the No. 1 police station in Sittwe to inquire about the case, but officials did not provide any information about it.

Ni Min Tun said it was not yet known where the reporters were taken for the interrogation.