Crimes against journalists
Freedom of speech is critical to free and fair elections. Since the military staged a coup in Myanmar they have perpetrated a regime to crush free speech. This has included a growing list of humanitarian crimes against journalists and media outlets reporting in and on behalf of the country.
This is a living page detailing those crimes, which is updated monthly.
If you would like to contact us about a crime against a journalist, please reach out to [email protected]
2024
Kyaw Swar Tun was arrested on 8 September, 2022, by police from Thingangyun Township and sentenced to three years of hard labour under Section 505 (a) of the Penal Code. He was released from Insein Prison on November 14, 2024 after serving most of a three-year sentence.
The home of U Ko Ko Zaw, the Editor-in-Chief of Than Lwin Times news agency, was sealed off by junta-backed authorities in Dawei Zu Ward, Mawlamyine, Mon State, on Oct. 25 at 3 PM. The junta accused U Ko Ko Zaw of having ties to "terrorist organizations" & took unlawful action.
Myanmar military killed Win Htut Oo, a citizen journalist working with DVB during a raid on the home of another journalist, Htet Myat Thu, who was also killed.
Myanmar military raided Htet Myat Thu's house and killed him along with Win Htut Oo, a DVB journalist.
Nay Lin Htike, former freelance reporter for DVB, was arrested in early 2022, and sentenced to eight years in Daik-U Prison under Section 505 (A) of the Penal Code while he was suffering from oral cancer. He was transferred to Insein Prison in July 2022 to be given treatment as his condition worsened and he died from cancer inside Insein Prison on 29 July, 2024.
On October 29, 2023, approximately 20 soldiers and police officers from Rakhine raided the office of independent media outlet the Development Media Group (DMG), arresting local reporter Htet Aung and a security guard and seizing cameras, computers, and documents.
On June 28, 2024, a court in Sittwe sentenced Htet Aung to five years in prison with hard labor, under section 52(a) of the Anti-Terrorism Law.
Myo Myint Oo, a journalist at local media outlet Dawei Watch was arrested by the Myanmar junta in Dawei, Tanintharyi region on December 11, 2023, along with another Dawei Watch journalist Aung San Oo. The military court in Myeik Prison sentenced Myo Myint Oo to life in prison on May 15, 2024.
Yan Naing Soe, a freelance reporter for Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) was arrested in Monywa, Sagaing Region on October 22, 2023. On March 25, 2024, a court in Monywa Prison sentenced him to four years under counter-terrorism law.
Aung San Oo, a journalist at local media outlet Dawei Watch was arrested by the Myanmar junta in Dawei, Tanintharyi region on December 11, 2023, along with another Dawei Watch journalist Myo Myint Oo. The military court in Myeik Prison sentenced Aung San Oo to 20 years on February 16, 2024.
Myat Thu Tan, a journalist who contributed to several media outlets including the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) and local online outlet Western News, was shot and killed on January 31 while in military custody in Mrauk-U in Rakhine State.
On January 27, 2024, Myanmar junta's Ministry of Information revoked the licenses of two publishing houses "Toe Myit" and "La Pyae Lin" for allegedly violating the Section 8(b) of the Printing and Publishing Enterprise Law, which punishes “show things which can harass national security, rules of law, public order or the rights of every citizen such as equality, freedom and balance of law”.
Shin Daewe was arbitrarily arrested in North Oakkalapa, Yangon on 15 October, 2023. On 10 January, 2024, the military court in the Insein Prison in Yangon sentenced her to life imprisonment. She was given maximum sentence under Section 5(j) of the Counterterrorism Law for allegedly "abetting" terrorism.
Kaung Sett Lin, MPA's photojournalist was released from Insein prison as part of the junta's mass amnesty of January 4, 2024.
Kaung Sett Lin and videographer Hmu Yadanar Khet Moh Moh Tun of the independent Myanmar Pressphoto Agency were arrested by the junta on December 5, 2021, while they were covering a flash mob protest on Pan Pin Gyi Road in Yangon. Both were in a military hospital due to injuries sustained at the event. Security forces opened fire on the protesters, killing at least five people in the melee. Hmu Yadanar remains imprisoned, having received a 10-year sentence.
2023
Mekong News Agency's Media License was revoked on December 24, 2023 for allegedly breaching the Article 8 of the Publishing Act, announced junta-controlled Ministry of Information.
On October 29, approximately 20 soldiers and police officers from Rakhine raided the office of independent media outlet the Development Media Group (DMG), arresting local reporter Htet Aung and a security guard and seizing cameras, computers, and documents.
Sai Zaw Thaike was arrested in western Rakhine state while he was reporting for Myanmar Now on the fallout from Cyclone Mocha on May 23 and he faced four charges, including breaching a natural disaster law and a telecommunications law. On September 6, 2023, a court inside Yangon's Insein Prison jailed him for 20 years, the longest-known prison term for a media professional since the 2021 coup. Myanmar Now has indicated that the charges for which Sai Zaw Thaike has been convicted remain unclear. He had been detained without access to a lawyer or family visits in advance of the trial.
Kyaw Min Swe was arrested at his home in Yangon on April 11, 2023, shortly after his Facebook profile photo was updated to show a black square in an apparent comment about an airstrike earlier that day on Pazi Gyi, a village in the center of Myanmar. He was released on 7 July, 2023, almost three months after his detention.
Thaung Win, the ex-publisher of The Irrawaddy, an independent news organization, received a five-year prison sentence on charges of sedition. He was apprehended at his residence in September 2022 and initially accused of breaching the Publishing and Distribution Act.
On June 10, 2023, the junta-controlled Ministry of Information revoked the Ayeyarwaddy Times’ media license for allegedly breaching Article 8 of the Publishing Act.
Military junta arrested photojournalist Kaung Sett Lin and videographer Hmu Yadanar Khet Moh Moh Tun, both with the independent Myanmar Pressphoto Agency, on December 5, 2021, while they were covering a flash mob protest on Pan Pin Gyi Road in the commercial capital Yangon. Both were in a military hospital due to injuries sustained at the event. On December 21, 2022, the Insein Prison Court sentenced both to three years in prison with hard labour. Hmu Yadanar Khet Moh Moh Tun was sentenced to an additional ten years imprisonment on May 26, 2023, which means she stands to spend 13 years in prison.