Myanmar authorities cost six journalists

Authorities in Myanmar have charged Associated Press journalist Thein Zaw and 5 different members of the media with violating a public order legislation that would see them imprisoned for as much as three years, a lawyer stated Tuesday.
The six have been arrested whereas masking protests towards the Feb. 1 navy coup in Myanmar that ousted the elected authorities of Aung San Suu Kyi. The group consists of journalists for Myanmar Now, Myanmar Photo Agency, 7Day News, Zee Kwet on-line information and a freelancer.
Lawyer Tin Zar Oo, who represents Thein Zaw, stated the six have been charged beneath a legislation that punishes anybody who causes worry among the many public, knowingly spreads false information, or agitates immediately or not directly for a felony offense towards a authorities worker.
The legislation was amended by the junta final month to broaden its scope and improve the utmost jail time period from two years.
AP’s Thein Zaw, 32, was taken into custody on Saturday morning in Yangon, the nation’s largest metropolis. He is reported to be held in Insein Prison in northern Yangon, infamous for housing political prisoners beneath earlier navy regimes.
According to the lawyer, Thein Zaw was remanded into custody by a court docket and may be held till March 12 with out one other listening to or additional motion.
The AP has referred to as for his quick launch.

“Independent journalists must be allowed to freely and safely report the news without fear of retribution,” Ian Phillips, AP vp for worldwide information, stated after the arrest. “AP decries in the strongest terms the arbitrary detention of Thein Zaw.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined that decision.
“Myanmar authorities must release all journalists being held behind bars and stop threatening and harassing reporters for merely doing their jobs of covering anti-coup street protests,” stated Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia consultant. “Myanmar must not return to the past dark ages where military rulers jailed journalists to stifle and censor news reporting.”
Thein Zaw was arrested as police charged towards protesters gathered at an intersection in Yangon that has turn out to be a gathering level for demonstrators.
Authorities escalated their crackdown on the protesters this previous weekend, finishing up mass arrests and utilizing deadly drive. The U.N. Human Rights workplaces stated it believes at the very least 18 folks have been shot lifeless Sunday in a number of cities when safety forces opened hearth on demonstrating crowds.
The coup reversed years of sluggish progress towards democracy after 5 a long time of navy rule.
In December 2017, two journalists working for the Reuters information company have been arrested whereas engaged on a narrative about Myanmar’s Rohingya minority. They have been accused of illegally possessing official paperwork, though they argued that they have been framed due to official opposition to their reporting.

Although their case attracted worldwide consideration, they have been convicted the next 12 months and have been sentenced to seven years behind bars. They have been freed in 2019 in a mass presidential pardon.