Over 60 journalists remain in prisons across Myanmar: AAPP

By Admin 04 May 2024

DMG Newsroom
4 May 2024, Sittwe

Since the February 2021 coup, 194 journalists have been detained, and of them, 62 are still detained, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said in a statement on May 3.

Twenty-eight women and 166 men were arrested by the regime and Yangon Region stood first with 66 journalists detained, the AAPP statement said. Of the journalists detained by the regime, five women and 29 men were jailed by junta courts on various charges.

Most were sentenced under the Penal Code and the Counter-Terrorism Law, including 12 who were sentenced to 10 years or more and one who was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The regime has killed four journalists since the military coup, the AAPP statement added.

Since the coup, the military regime has been raiding and persecuting independent media outlets, arresting, killing, and imprisoning journalists.

“Journalists face huge security challenges as the regime arrests journalists and issues arrest warrants,” said Hsaung Zar Chin, senior reporter for Arakan State-based Development Media Group (DMG).

Many journalists from independent news agencies have been forced to flee to the border or foreign countries due to the junta’s arrests.

“Regarding the situation of journalists in Myanmar today, it is fair to say it is the worst in history,” said a seasoned female media trainer. “Though journalism is not a crime, governments in successive periods have arrested, prosecuted and jailed journalists. The crackdown on the media after the 2021 coup has been the worst.”

“Inside the country, journalists have to keep a low profile to make sure that their profession is not exposed. This reflects how seriously journalists are unsafe in this country,” she added.

Myanmar’s independent media community has called for the release of arrested journalists across the country and for them to be allowed to report freely on World Press Freedom Day, marked annually on May 3.

In the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 2024 press freedom ranking of 180 countries, Myanmar stood 171st. Since January 1, 2024, one journalist was killed in Myanmar, according to RSF’s real-time dashboard, which indicates that detained as of today are 59 journalists and three media workers.