YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – Myanmar’s governing board has stepped up its campaign against celebrities who support nationwide protests against the seizure of power, publishing wish lists in the state press and warning against use of his work.
The move comes after weeks of escalating violence by security forces in the crackdown on street protests against the February 1 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government . At least 570 protesters and spectators, including 47 children, have been killed since taking office, according to the Association for Assistance to Political Prisoners, which monitors victims and arrests and says the true toll is likely higher. The coup reversed the country’s gradual return to democracy after five decades of military rule.
The lists published Sunday and Monday in the newspaper Global New Light of Myanmar include actors, musicians and social media influencers accused of violating section 505 (A) of the Penal Code for “spreading news to affect the stability of the state.” The penalty for the crime is up to three years in prison.
A graph that fills most of a page lists 20 people, along with photos, cities, and Facebook pages of each.
Several actors and directors were also charged in February, but the campaign against supporters of celebrity protests intensified last week when Army-controlled Myawaddy TV aired a list of wanted people. There are now at least 60 people on these lists.
May Toe Khine, who describes herself on her Twitter profile as a “full-time Burmese actress / part-time fashion design student,” tweeted after the TV ad that her order arrest was “simply to do my job as a civilian: use my platform to speak out the truth.”
“Please always pay attention to the news in Myanmar until we win,” he wrote.
What appears to be a leaked document from the Ministry of Information informs broadcasting agencies and production agencies of allegations against people in the fields of literature, film, theater arts, music and journalism. He warns them not to publish or disseminate any of their works or to confront themselves.
Khit Thit Media reported the April 4 document, which could not be authenticated by The Associated Press, and was widely circulated on social media.
Protests continued Monday across the country, but generally on a smaller scale than recently and often in a way aimed at preventing clashes. On Sunday, a “Easter Egg Strike” was held with painted eggs in support of the protests displayed in public places and online.
In Dawei, a city in southeastern Myanmar that is a stronghold of the protest movement, a short march was accompanied by a motorcycle procession.
In Yangon, the largest city in the country, a commemorative march for the dead was held by bad dressed in black. Separately, about 20 people gathered briefly on a city street and burned Chinese flags. Many protesters believe Beijing supports the military regime with economic and political support, including the threat of a veto on the UN Security Council against international sanctions.