In Myanmar, Junta military detains two more journalists in southern region

Two more journalists have been detained by Myanmar's military rule in the southern part of the country, bringing the total number of journalists detained by the junta to at least 46 as of Tuesday. Since last year's February 1 coup, Myanmar has surpassed China as the world's second-largest jailer of journalists.

Myanmar military rule arrests two more journalists

The Irrawaddy reported, at midnight on Tuesday, reporters Ko Zaw, Ma Moe Myint, and designer Ko Thar Gyi of Dawei Watch, an online news organisation located in Dawei, the capital of Tanintharyi Region, were detained at their residences by Myanmar Junta. Dawei Watch, established in 2012, focuses on news from Myanmar's south region. Local news sources have played a critical role in uncovering and documenting military aggression and atrocities against citizens since the coup.

Dawei Watch told The Irrawaddy that they don't know where its employees are being held or why they were arrested. In an attempt to stop independent coverage of the junta's daily horrors, the junta has targeted journalists with arrests, lawsuits, raids on newsrooms, and assault. Since the coup, around 110 journalists and media professionals have been detained on various occasions. Journalists' relatives have been held as hostages in some situations to force them to turn themselves in.

Media in Myanmar facing brunt of Junta's military rule

Moreover, since the beginning of December, the junta has murdered three journalists. Soe Naing, a freelance photographer, was the first to perish at the hands of the dictatorship. On December 14, he was killed after being arrested while reporting on a silent strike protest in Yangon. While documenting the battle between the Myanmar military and the People's Defense Forces in Karen State, Federal News Journal editor Sai Win Aung was murdered by junta artillery on December 25.

After being kidnapped, Pu Tuidim, the founder and editor of the Chin State-based Khonumthung Media Group, was assassinated by Myanmar Junta forces. On January 9, his body was discovered. Reporting ASEAN, a Southeast Asia media advocacy group, said since the coup 115 journalists had been detained 44 remained in detention and three had died.

Some foreign journalists have also been detained, including American journalist Danny Fenster here, who was the managing editor of independent online magazine Frontier Myanmar. Fenster was sentenced to 11 years in prison last November for incitement and violations of laws on immigration and unlawful assembly, before being released following negotiations between former U.S. diplomat Bill Richardson and the Junta.

(With inputs from agencies)

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