The Kantarawaddy Times released a statement yesterday regarding one of their journalists who was the victim of a horrific kidnapping that ended in a vehicular accident and left her critically injured.
On Friday afternoon, Maw Oo Myar, 23, and another woman journalist were traveling by motorcycle from Loikaw to Demawso in Kayah State when two men in a car cut them off on the road. The men verbally harassed them before dragging Maw Oo Myar into the car with them and drove off. The car then got into an accident that left Maw Oo Myar temporarily comatose.
Around 5:30pm, Maw Oo Myar was taken to the Demawso General Hospital, and later transferred to the Loikaw General Hospital that same night, where she remains under security detail while receiving treatment.
According to the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA), the culprits have been identified as Kaung San and Sein Win.
Maw Oo Myar has regained consciousness since the accident, but she is still unable to talk, eat, or physically move about, and still requires the use of a ventilator to breathe. “Her eyes are open but she is frequently demonstrating signs of trauma,” the Kantarawaddy Times writes.
Police have already begun an investigation into opening a case against the two men.
At the Kantarawaddy Times, Maw Oo Myar reported on a range of issues including politics, women’s rights, business, and health. She also worked with the Democratic Voice of Burma to produce a Karenni Language segment for the publication’s ethnic weekly program.
In their statement, SEAPA noted that “these kinds of attack show the continuing vulnerability of journalists, especially women, outside the big urban centers in Burma.”
