Myanmar: PEC Demands Release of All Jailed Journalists Ahead of Elections

by Nava Thakuria

Geneva: The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), a global media safety and rights organisation, has urged Myanmar’s military junta to immediately release all detained media professionals before the country’s proposed multi-phase elections scheduled to begin on 28 December. The organisation also called for the repeal of a newly introduced election-interference law that continues to criminalise journalists and social media users under the pretext of combating “anti-national activities”.

Myanmar, a Buddhist-majority nation of nearly 55 million people, remains engulfed in a de facto civil war. The ruling Tatmadaw, led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, is fighting pro-democracy armed resistance groups across the country and has suffered significant territorial losses. Nearly half of Myanmar’s townships have slipped out of military control, making voting impossible in large swathes of the country and rendering a free, fair and inclusive election highly unlikely under the current political environment.

“In the name of elections, the military authorities have imposed stringent restrictions on mainstream journalists and social media users. They have taken a hard line against any critical discussion of the flawed electoral process,” said Blaise Lempen, president of PEC (pressemblem.ch). “More than five journalists and press-freedom defenders have been executed by the junta, and many others have fled the country to save their lives. Journalism must never be treated as a crime by any authority.”

Nava Thakuria, PEC’s South and Southeast Asia representative, reported that over 200 journalists have been arrested or imprisoned since the 2021 military coup that toppled the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Nearly 50 media professionals remain behind bars, while licences of at least 15 media outlets have been revoked, forcing many journalists to operate from hideouts across the conflict-ridden nation.

He added that the upcoming elections offer a faint hope for improved safety, security and professional freedom for Myanmar’s embattled media community.