Myanmar’s military detained seven men, including three journalists, yesterday in northern Shan State, claiming the men have ties to the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). The Office of the Commander-in-Chief announced that these alleged ties are now being investigated.
DVB reporters Aye Nai and Pyae Phone Naing, along with Irrawaddy reporter Thein Zaw (aka Lawi Weng) were detained in Namhsan Township while returning from the TNLA’s drug-burning ceremony, which was held to commemorate International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
They have been transferred to the Lashio Township police station.
While the identities of the other four men remain unknown, Amnesty International has called for the journalists’ immediate release.
“These journalists must be immediately and unconditionally released and allowed to resume their work freely and without fear. Their arrests send a chilling message to Myanmar’s already embattled media,” said James Gomez, Amnesty International’s director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
The Myanmar military’s statement said it will take action against the detainees “according to the law”. The TNLA is not a signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement and still frequently clashes with the Myanmar army. As such, the Myanmar military considers the group illegal.
Amnesty officials fear that the seven detainees may be charged under the Unlawful Associations Act – a vague and repressive law often used to arbitrarily arrest and detain people in ethnic minority areas and conflict-affected areas, both predominantly along Myanmar’s borders.
In a press release, Amnesty accused Myanmar authorities of invoking a slew of draconian laws to silence, arrest, and imprison journalists and restrict access to areas where the military operates.
“These arrests are a crude attempt to intimidate journalists by a military that cannot seem to abide even the faintest criticism. Fearful of any scrutiny of its role in northern Myanmar, where they stand accused of war crimes, the army is doing its best to stop journalists and other observers from accessing these areas,” said James Gomez.
DVB editor-in-chief Aye Chan Naing said defended the actions of the reporters, saying they were doing their jobs by traveling to TNLA territory and reporting on a newsworthy event.
