Freelance Singaporean photographer Lau Hon Meng remains in detention in Myanmar after he was arrested while doing his job. But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has since assured that it has his back.
Contracted by Turkish Radio and Television along with Malaysian journalist Mok Choy Lin, the two were planning to take pictures of parliament buildings and pagodas in the capital city of Naypyidaw when they were spotted by security guards. They are currently being charged and investigated for breaching export and import laws — the drone they brought in was allegedly imported without permission.
In response to media queries, MFA noted that the Singapore Embassy in Yangon has been notified of the case. According to the Myanmar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lau was detained by the authorities for the unauthorized video recording of the Hluttaw building (House of Representatives) with a drone on Oct 27.
“The Embassy will provide the necessary consular assistance to Mr Lau and is closely monitoring developments to ensure that due process is accorded to Mr Lau,” MFA wrote in a statement, adding that it is in close contact with his family.
The arrests come amid tension between Turkey and Myanmar over the Rohingya crisis, with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan declaring it a “genocide” perpetrated by the Myanmar government.
Several journalists have been arrested in Myanmar this year and charged for defamation or for their affiliation with “unlawful” organizations, calling into question the sincerity of press freedoms introduced at the end of direct military rule in 2011.
Alongside Lau and Mok, police also arrested Aung Naing Soe, a photographer they hired as an interpreter. The former Coconuts Yangon staffer’s religious background and his reputation for covering issues affecting Myanmar’s Muslim communities have made him a long-time target for harassment by nationalist groups in the country.
Last Friday, 25 police and local officials raided Aung Naing Soe’s home without a warrant and seized his computer and memory devices.
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