ISP reports massive crackdown on Burmese journalists in 30 years

Narinjara News, 3 May  2022

At least 143 journalists have been arrested in thirteen months since the military junta seized power in Burma, a record number of arrests reported within 30 years, said the Institute for Strategy and Policy-Myanmar.

In a report issued on 2 May, a day before World Press Freedom day, it said that over the past year the military council has also suspended the licenses of 11 news media outlets of Myanmar. From February to December last year, 132 journalists were arrested. Out of them  27 journalists have been imprisoned.

One journalist was killed by the military shooting the encounter with the People's Defense Forces. Since 1 January  to 21 April  2022, 11 journalists were arrested and one was imprisoned.

Of the arrested 143 journalists, 82 were released but  58 are still in the custody of the military. Among the 58 detainees, 19 have been jailed and 39 journalists remain in custody for more than a year.

After the coup, Burma became one of the most arrested and imprisoned countries in the world for journalists, said the July 2021 special report of the Committee to Protect Journalists.

According to Reporters without/sans Borders’ freedom of the press index, Myanmar's press freedom index has declined in 2021. RSF indicated that Burma's media freedom declined after the military coup.