Regime spox accuses media of hostility in reporting on dialogue with Brotherhood Alliance

By Admin 13 Dec 2023

DMG Newsroom
13 December 2023, Sittwe

Junta spokesman Major-General Zaw Min Tun has accused media agencies of making negative reports about the political dialogue between Myanmar’s military regime and the Brotherhood Alliance.

“Pro-Western media and media supported by Western countries are against the dialogue. They are making negative reports about the dialogue,” said Zaw Min Tun.

The Brotherhood Alliance, consisting of the Arakan Army (AA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and Ta’ang National Liberation Army, held talks on Monday at the mediation of China. The tripartite military alliance has seized control of large swaths of Myanmar’s border with China in northern Shan State since the launch of its “Operation 1027” in late October.

As local and foreign media agencies made analysis reports of the dialogue, the junta spokesman has accused media of making negative reports, without clarifying to which media agencies he was referring.

Media agencies are clearly not in favour of stability, rule of law and development on the Myanmar-China border, Zaw Min Tun alleged.

“Pro-Western media do not want to see stability, not only on the Chinese border, but across the country. The more unstable Myanmar is, the more income they can make,” said Zaw Min Tun.

Journalists say the regime views them as an enemy because media agencies report about its grave human rights violations and crimes against humanity including indiscriminate artillery and air attacks on civilian populations across the country.

“Lately, the regime has become more hostile to the media, which are reporting its human rights violations. That’s why it views the media as its enemy,” said a journalist from a local media outlet who did not want to be named.

Myanmar is one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists as the regime has imposed a crackdown on independent media since the 2021 coup. Scores of journalists have been detained, and at least 50 remain behind bars.