New Delhi: The Myanmar government has arrested a senior journalist for publishing an interview of the spokesperson of the Arakan Army (AA) rebel group on his website, and has slapped cases against two other journalists in the same case – one of them for republishing it. Three other journalists were also rounded up for interrogation on the same case but were later released.The website, Voice of Myanmar (VoM), has since been blocked. For over a year now, the Myanmar Army, Tatmadaw, has been fighting a fierce battle against the Rakhine-based AA. Last week, AA was declared a terrorist organisation. AA has been demanding greater autonomy for the Rakhine state and is not part of the government’s nationwide peace agreement. However, the central government’s crackdown on the journalists under the draconian Counter-Terrorism Law has attracted considerable criticism from members of public as an attempt to curb media freedom in the country. Last week, the government reportedly blocked more than a dozen news sites accusing them of publishing “fake” news. Several of the sites have been covering the ongoing fight at Rakhine between the Tatmadaw and the AA. According to reports from Myanmar, Nay Myo Lin, the editor of Mandalay-based VoM, was arrested on March 30 night on “terrorism” charges after Khine Lin San, the reporter of his media outfit, published the interview of Khine Thukha, the AA spokesperson, on March 27. A Mandalay-based Information Police officer has reportedly filed the case against the VoM editor. He was produced in court on March 31.Also read: Myanmarese Naga Politician’s Request for Additional Territory Threatens Ethnic ConflictAccording to a Reuters report, “Nay Myo Lin’s lawyer, Thein Than Oo, confirmed the charges, which can carry a life sentence, but told Reuters he did not have any more details. The journalist’s wife, Zarni Mann, also confirmed to Reuters that her husband had been charged.”Meanwhile, The Irrawwady has reported that the editor of Yangon-based Khit Thit Media “has been on the run since Tuesday (April 1) after the police raided his home for republishing the VoM’s story.” The news report said, “Another three journalists from the Rakhine-based Narinjara news outlet were interrogated by police and later released”. However, Narinjara editor-in-chief “who is still at large, faces charges under the Counter Terrorism Law” for “the media group’s interview with the AA in a report on fighting in the Rakhine state.” On April 2, The Irrawwady published comments from an cross-section of people condemning the government’s action. Last May, Committee for Protection of Journalists (CPJ) had asked the Myanmar authorities to “immediately cease harassing and threatening to arrest” yet another senior journalist Aung Marm Oo. Aung Marm is the editor-in-chief of Rakhine state-based news agency, Development Media Group.Aung Marm had then appealed to the Myanmar Press Council (MPC), an independent body handling media disputes across the country, to mediate on the issue. On March 30, speaking before the judge at the Mandalay court, the VoM editor too sought MPC’s intervention to judge whether the interview was conducted professionally as per media norms. Meanwhile, reacting to the news, Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative, said, “Myanmar authorities must immediately release journalist Ko Nay Lin and drop all charges against him…Reporting on armed conflict is not the same as being a terrorist, and threatening a journalist with life in prison is inexcusable. Myanmar’s assault on journalists must stop now.”
