A number of journalists have been arrested in Burma while covering anti-coup demonstrations there. NPR reported March 2 that at least eight journalists, including 32-year-old Associated Press reporter Thein Zaw, have been arrested by Burmese authorities.
The Associated Press reported that Thein Zaw’s lawyer, Tin Zar Oo, said Tuesday (March 2) that Burmese authorities had accused Thein Zaw and other journalists of violating a public order law. The law punishes anyone who creates fear in the public, deliberately spreads false information, or commits criminal offenses directly or indirectly against government employees. If convicted, they could be jailed for up to three years.
Myanmar’s military government last month amended the law to broaden its application and raise the maximum sentence from two years to the current three years.
Associated Press photographer Thein Zaw, 32, and other journalists were arrested by authorities Feb. 27 while covering demonstrations in Myanmar’s business-heavy Yangon township. The Burmese military overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government in a coup on Feb. 1.
The arrested journalists belong to several media outlets, including Burma Today, Burma Photo, Seven Days News, Zee Kwet Online News and a freelance Writer, in addition to the Associated Press.
Thein Zaw and many of the arrested journalists are reportedly being held in Insein prison in northern Yangon, which is notorious for its detention of dissidents and poor sanitary conditions. Aung San Suu Kyi was imprisoned in Insein prison in 2003 and 2009 for violating a house arrest ban.
Thein Zaw’s lawyer said Thein Zaw was remanded in court custody and that there would be no further action, such as a court hearing, until March 12.
The Associated Press is calling for Denzel’s immediate release. Ian Phillips, AP vice president for international news, said, “Independent journalists must be allowed to report the news freely and safely without fear of reprisal.” He said, “The Associated Press strongly condemns the arbitrary detention of Denzo.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists, a media advocacy group, also expressed concern about the arrests of journalists by Burmese authorities. “Burmese authorities must release all journalists in prison and stop threatening and harassing journalists who are simply covering the anti-coup street protests,” said Shawn Crispin, senior representative for Southeast Asia for the Committee to Protect Journalists. “Burma must not return to the dark days of the past, when military rulers jailed journalists to stifle and censor news coverage.”
Last Sunday (Feb. 28) was the deadliest day in a month of mass protests against the military coup in Burma, with at least 18 protesters killed by security forces, at least a few dozen others injured and about 1,000 people arrested.
Several Western countries, including the United States, and the U.N. secretary-general have condemned the military’s violent crackdown on protesters and demanded that the junta release democratically elected civilian leaders such as Aung San Suu Kyi.
However, when foreign ministers of ASEAN members met Tuesday to discuss the situation in Myanmar, only four urged the junta to release Aung San Suu Kyi and others.
China’s foreign ministry on Monday said it was urgent to push for a cooling of the situation in Myanmar, but did not condemn the junta’s bloody crackdown on protesters or urge a return to a democratically elected government, but asked the international community to respect Myanmar’s sovereignty.
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