BANGKOK (AP) – Myanmar’s army-controlled government is cracking down on media coverage of protests against the seizure of power as journalists and ordinary citizens strive to inform the people of the country and beyond what is happening .
Authorities raided two media companies on Tuesday and arrested two people. On Monday, they canceled the licenses of five local media outlets that had offered extensive coverage of the protests, trying to regain those freedoms a decade after the country began its hesitant transition to democracy.
The government has arrested dozens of journalists since the February 1 coup, including Thein Zaw of The Associated Press.
Repression comes when the military has intensified violence against mass protests. Independent media reports continue to provide vital information on arrests and shootings of troops in Myanmar cities. And they use other platforms to distribute their reports, such as social media.
Here’s a look at the media situation in Myanmar:
HOW DO THEY SUPPRESS GOVERNMENT NEWS?
Authorities stormed Kamayut Media’s offices on Monday and arrested its co-founder, Han Thar Nyein, and editor-in-chief, Nathan Maung. According to a member of Han Thar Nyein’s family, witnesses said seven military trucks took part in the raid. The military also stormed the offices of Mizzima News. A day earlier, five local outlets – Mizzima, DVB, Khit Thit Media, Myanmar Now and 7Day News – were banned from broadcasting or sharing information on any media platform or using any technology after the cancellation of their licenses, as reported by the state broadcaster MRTV. They had all covered the protests extensively and often made a live video. Myanmar Now, an independent news service, reported that police broke down its office door on Monday and confiscated computers, printers and parts of the newsroom’s data server. He cited unnamed witnesses and showed a photo of the CCTV footage. But it was said the office had been evacuated in late January. The government has arrested dozens of journalists, including Thein Zaw of The Associated Press. “This ban is clearly part of a much larger military junta assault on press freedom and the ability of journalists to do their job without harassment, intimidation or detention,” Asian Deputy Director Phil Robertson said in a statement. by Human Rights Watch. Tuesday. The International Press Institute, which promotes freedom of the press, vehemently condemned the movement and urged the international community to “strongly oppose the ongoing assault on independent media.”
HOW DO THE MEDIA NEWS RESPOND?
Myanmar journalists run the risk of being killed or imprisoned for doing their job, and Swe Win, editor-in-chief of Myanmar Now, said the raid showed the government intended to show zero tolerance for freedom. of press. “What is certain is that we will not stop covering up the huge crimes that the regime has been committing across the country,” he said. Mizzima, another privately owned and privately owned news center, posted a statement on its website saying it “continues to fight the military coup and the restoration of democracy and human rights” through various online and multimedia platforms. . Other outlets also reported protests on Tuesday. Some media already have experience operating from abroad.
WHAT KIND OF MEDIA WORK LEGALLY IN MYANMAR?
It seems that Myanmar is returning to a situation where its officially sanctioned means are fully controlled by the state, as they were before August 2012. Even before the coup, under the almost civilian government dominated by the military. led by Aung San Suu Kyi, journalists faced detention and harassment for reporting on sensitive issues such as abuses against their Rohingya Muslim ethnic minority. Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were sentenced to seven years in prison, but were later pardoned for attempting to investigate a massacre of Rohingya civilians. Myanmar ranks 139th out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders Global Press Freedom Index 2020. Journalists have often faced criminal defamation lawsuits online. The Myanmar Times reported that it had suspended all publications for three months from 21 February. This move came after many of its members stopped protesting the newspaper’s agreement to follow a Board order not to use the word “coup” to describe military takeover. Another state-controlled newspaper, the Global New Light of Myanmar, still publishes. Other state media include the Myanmar News Agency and the army-controlled Myawaddy TV.
WHAT ARE THE LONG-TERM BRANCHES?
Deleting all reports would probably require a complete shutdown of all Internet and satellite communications. Aside from the legal and human rights implications, this would be a huge setback for the country’s economy. Myanmar’s businesses rely heavily on the internet and digital platforms like Facebook, as they have grown rapidly in recent years after decades of relative isolation under previous military governments. So far, the Board has chosen to close Internet links at night, making it difficult but not completely stopping these communications. Since modern companies are largely dependent on the Internet and the free flow of communications and information, the actions of the military are further damaging a business and investment environment already devastated by the coup and its aftermath.