The Committee to Protect Journalists(CPJ), on Friday, appealed to the Myanmar government to rigorously investigate the killing of journalist Myat Thu Tan and bring the perpetrators to book. Myat Thu Tan’s body was discovered buried within a bomb shelter at a Rakhine State military camp, alongside six other political captives, displaying signs of torture. CPJ’s official statement
From September 2022, Myat Thu Tan had been held in pre-trial detention by the Myanmar authorities. There was no trial or conviction of any sort at the time of his death. The charges against him were for allegedly spreading defamatory information, a violation of Section 505(a) of the country’s Penal Code. This offence, according to Human Rights Watch, has been broadened “to target those speaking critically of the military” following the 2021 coup.
Reporting for the Democratic Voice of Burma, an independent news outlet advocating for democracy and human rights, Myat Thu Tan was known to post critical commentary on his personal Facebook page prior to his arrest, as highlighted by the CPJ.
“A culture of impunity has taken deep root in Myanmar since the 2021 coup that suspended democracy. The junta must stop killing, and start protecting, journalists,” commented Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior representative in Southeast Asia.
Ever since the military takeover, the ruling junta has imposed a state of emergency and enforced compulsory military service in an attempt to quash opposition. This has led to allegations of human rights abuses and sanctions from Western nations like the UK and Australia.