More Burmese scribes imprisoned, PEC denounces military action

April 10: As the dictators of Myanmar (also known as Burma and Brahmadesh) and military courts continue to detain and imprison journalists, Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) expresses annoyance over the military junta’s actions. The Geneva-based global media safety & rights body urges the international community to support the Burmese media fraternity at this time of crisis.

Local media outlets report that three journalists were imprisoned by the court under sedition charges in the first week of April 2022. Ma Lwe Am Phaung, a female television scribe at Shwe Phee Myay news agency of Shan State was imprisoned on 7 April. Another Shan State-based journalist Khaing Myint Tun (alias Shwe Lin Thit) was sentenced to jail same day by the court. Earlier on 5 April, a Mandalay-based scribe Win Naing Oo was imprisoned by the court.

Days back, freelance journalists Zaw Linn Htut (alias Phoe Thar), Myanmar Herald reporter Ye Yint Tun, MFP news agency video editor Aung Zaw Zaw, Mizzima News correspondent Than Htike Aung, Kamayut media news agency founder Han Thar Nyein, etc were sentenced to jail for opposing the military dictatorship in Myanmar. More than 130 journalists have been detained since the 1 February coup and 50 are still behind the bars.
“Journalists across Myanmar have been forced into hiding as the military rulers of Naypietaw continue its anti-media crackdown. Even though the junta argues that they are working under the guidelines of prescribed laws, the protesting voices have been targeted by the men in uniform,” said Blaise Lampen, president of PEC (https://pressemblem.ch).

PEC’s south-east Asia representative Nava Thakuria informed that the military junta has made it very difficult for the professional journalists in Myanmar. The generals have forgotten to respect the press and gone with all negative activities like cancelling permits of many media outlets and personally targeting the active media workers, some of whom had even left for neighbouring countries.