In a worrying sign of deteriorating conditions for press freedom, multiple Myanmar news outlets in the past week have gone on record saying they have received anonymous threats for their coverage of the ongoing conflict between the Arakan Army (AA) and the Myanmar military.
The Irrawaddy, Eleven, and 7 Day Daily are among more than half a dozen outlets to say they have received threats via email or phone demanding they “stop [spreading] wrong information” about the ongoing conflict in Rakhine State and threatening violence against their employees over their coverage.
In recent weeks, the outlets have reported on the steady drip of civilian casualties, often splashed across the front pages of their publications.
Just last week, the union government announced there has been a total of 103 clashes between government and Arakan Army forces, with civilians caught in the crossfire. As fighting between the AA and the Tatmadaw reached a fever pitch in recent months, the civilian body count has climbed to 12.
Mizzima, DVB, Democracy Today, The Time Daily, and One News Myanmar also said their staff’s have received anonymous threats from people saying the safety of their journalists “couldn’t be guaranteed” and specifically calling on them to stop calling the AA a terrorist group.
Both the AA and the Myanmar military have denied being behind the threats.
The overt threats against journalists and media organizations mark an escalation from the disquieting pressure that the NLD government has placed on freedom of expression in Myanmar.
In January, Human Rights Watch released a report asserting that the state of free speech in Myanmar has steadily worsened, citing the criminalization of free speech in the form of “broad and vaguely worded laws” and the rolling back of civil protections against journalists and activists.
In an interview with the Irrawaddy, Shawn Crispin, Southeast Asia representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists’, called on the Myanmar government and the AA to allow journalists to cover news without repercussions.
“We are alarmed to hear of reports that anonymous actors have threatened news groups over their news reporting on the conflict. We call on these threats to stop immediately and unconditionally.”
