YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – A video of the arrest of Associated Press journalist Thein Zaw as he photographed Myanmar security forces charging protesters against the coup shows that he was quickly surrounded and held in a safe place while they were handcuffing him.
Authorities have accused Thein Zaw and five other members of the media of violating a law of public order that could see them imprisoned for up to three years.
The video begins with Thein Zaw standing by a road on Saturday photographing dozens of security forces as they run against a group of protesters in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city.
Several policemen attack him and he tries to escape. At least seven people surround him as he stands in a choke. It is pushed and pushed and handcuffed quickly. A policeman with a megaphone uses the handcuffs to push him away.
Many of the police carry batons, while some have what look like guns and automatic weapons.
“The Associated Press is calling for the immediate release of AP journalist Thein Zaw, who has been charged with a crime in Myanmar for simply doing his job,” Ian Phillips, AP vice president of international news, said on Wednesday. “Independent journalists should be allowed to report freely and securely on the news without fear of retribution. AP condemns the indictment against Thein Zaw and his arbitrary detention.”
The military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in a February 1 coup. Protesters have demonstrated peacefully against the coup, even as security forces have drastically increased their repression. On Wednesday, at least 33 protesters were killed in several cities, according to social media accounts and local news reports compiled by a data analyst.
Authorities have also arrested people en masse.
Lawyer Tin Zar Oo, who represents Thein Zaw, said his client was one of six journalists who have been charged under a law that punishes anyone who causes fear among the public, who knowingly spreads fake news. or to act directly or indirectly for a crime against a government employee. The law was amended by the board last month to expand its scope and increase the maximum two-year prison sentence.
The group includes journalists working for Myanmar Now, Myanmar Photo Agency, 7Day News, Zee Kwet online news and a freelancer.
Rights and freedom of the press groups have demanded the release of journalists, and the Asia chapter of the Association of Asian American Journalists joined those calls on Wednesday.
“AAJA-Asia fully supports Burmese journalists and urges all Myanmar authorities to maintain press freedom and allow the media to report on the news without fear of retaliation,” the group said in a statement. “We call for an immediate end to violence, censorship and persecution.”
Thein Zaw, 32, is reportedly in Insein Prison, north of Yangon, famous for housing political prisoners under previous military regimes.
According to the lawyer, Thein Zaw was detained by a court and can be detained until March 12 without any further hearing or any other action.
In December 2017, two journalists working for the Reuters news agency were arrested while working on a story about Myanmar’s Rohingya minority. They were accused of illegally possessing official documents, although they argued that they were framed due to official opposition to their reports.
Although their case attracted international attention, they were sentenced the following year and sentenced to seven years behind bars. They were released in 2019 in a massive presidential pardon.