Irrawaddy-Jan 19
Myanmar has become the second-worst jailer of journalists after China, with 43 media staff arrested last year, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) 2023 prison census. China has 44 media employees behind bars, Myanmar has 43 and Belarus 28 with the CPJ recording 320 media staff globally in detention on December 1. However, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) reported that 192 media staff have been arrested since the 2021 coup, of which 61 are still behind bars. The junta has crushed the independent media since seizing power while carrying out numerous atrocities on Myanmar’s civilians, said U Toe Zaw Latt, secretary of the Independent Press Council of Myanmar. According to the Broadcasting Law, amended by the junta in November, media staff violating restrictions can be jailed for up to five years. The regime has also killed and jailed journalists for life. After the coup, Ko Aung Kyaw, also known as Min Min, from the Democratic Voice of Burma was sentenced to life imprisonment and photojournalist Ko Sai Zaw Thaike was jailed for 20 years. The Irrawaddy’s former publisher U Thaung Win was sentenced to five years for sedition last year. The AAPP reported that four media employees have been killed by the junta since the coup. Three of them were killed in junta custody, it said. Read more at: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-named-second-biggest-jailer-of-journalists.html
