The Burmese military has repeatedly cracked down on press freedom since the February 1 coup, and today’s latest move is to prosecute Japanese journalist Hiroki Kitakata under the “Fake News Law. He is the first foreign journalist to be prosecuted since the outbreak of the coup.
Japanese freelance journalist Yuki Kitazumi was charged yesterday with spreading fake news on World Press Freedom Day after his arrest last month, Kyodo News reported.
Yuki Kitazumi is the first foreign journalist to be charged since the coup in Burma. A Polish photojournalist was arrested in March while covering the protests and was released after nearly two weeks in jail and deported.
The Burmese military has forcefully cracked down on the massive opposition to the coup, including arrests of journalists, with 50 journalists currently in custody.
Kyodo News quoted an official from the Japanese embassy in Myanmar as saying that despite being held in Insein Prison in Yangon for several weeks, Hiroki Kitakata’s health is intact. Insein Prison is notorious for its long history of use as a prison for political prisoners.
He was released in February after being beaten and briefly detained during a military crackdown on protesters.
The Myanmar Aid Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said half of the 50 imprisoned journalists have been charged, and the authorities have issued arrest warrants for 29 others.
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