The Burmese military government detains a number of local journalists.
The Burmese military staged a coup early last month, triggering mass protests in the streets. Local civic groups estimate that more than 80 people have died and more than 2,100 have been arrested so far. Myanmar’s independent media, The Irrawaddy, was sued by the military government on Friday for “ignoring” its orders to continue reporting on the ongoing wave of anti-junta demonstrations.
The Burmese military government plans to charge 10 Irrawaddy reporters with “making illegal statements that led to the defection of military personnel and disregarding their duties,” which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison. Another 12 journalists have been imprisoned by the military without any charges. The Irrawaddy quoted sources as saying that the local police are charging the entire media, which, if true, would be the first Time since the coup that the Burmese military government has “taken aim” at the local media.
The government’s charges are based on a Feb. 20 clip released by The Irrawaddy News in which police officers demanded $9,200 from the families of striking doctors to pay for the release of detainees. Local official media later called the report “false.
Since the military government cracked down on the demonstrations, many media buildings have been raided by military police, and independent media outlets such as Mizzima, Myanmar Now, 7Day, Khit Thit media and the Democratic Voice of Burma have been raided. The licenses of independent media outlets such as Myanmar Now, 7Day, Khit Thit media and the Voice of Burma were all revoked. Many of these media outlets sent journalists to cover the demonstrations, many of whom were shot with tear gas and rubber bullets, and the police even used live ammunition to intimidate them. Many journalists were detained and some were forced to hide to avoid detention by the military government.
The Irrawaddy News’ Burmese editor, U Ye Ni, said the military is suing the media for trying to stop local news from flowing out, and he believes “the editorial staff does not believe that the legal framework under the control of the military government has any judicial independence to speak of.”
The Irrawaddy News was founded in 1993 by Burmese journalists in exile in Thailand, covering Burma and Southeast Asia with a belief in democracy and a history of human rights violations and crackdowns by the military government.
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