Since the military seized power on February 1, more than 5,900 people have been detained by the junta's security forces, and a majority remain in detention, according to advocacy group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). Of those, at least 87 are journalists, with 51 still in detention, Reporting ASEAN documented.
Following widespread abuses, demonstrators are determined to get rid of the military and protests are paralysing Myanmar. Global Insight assesses the toll on the country and the need for a swift international response.
緬甸獨媒記者逃避打壓逃亡泰國 獲第三國庇護 | 中央社 | NOWnews今日新聞 nownews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nownews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Airport staff handed him Covid-19 protective gear â complete with gown and hairnet â and he messaged his wife, Juliana Silva, 37, at 9.16am, promising to take a silly selfie. Six minutes later came a rushed text: security forces were taking him away.
âNot joke,â he wrote. âTheyll take fone soon.â
After three more unfinished messages, his side went silent. Silva has not been able to contact him since. âWe could never imagine this would happen to him,â Silva says. âThese 11 days without any news have been a nightmare.â
Many Myanmar journalists are in hiding or have managed to flee the country although most continue to cover the juntaâs crimes, which include the killing of at least 842 civilians, according to activist group the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Since Min Aung Hlaing seized power, Reporters Without Borders has recorded the arrest of 86 journalists and, as of 26 May, 49 of them are still detained.