Burma News International (BNI) has just issued a statement on the oppression against media personnel and the detaining reporters in Myanmar.

As they note in their press release this week, more than 100 media personnel have been arrested and charged for over seven months since the 1st of February 2021 when the Military Council forcedly took over the state’s power, noting that 47 among them are still under detention.

As BNI notes, reporters have been arrested continuously in late August and early September 2021.

As they note in their press release:

BNI seriously denounces such actions of the Military Council as detaining media personnel without a valid reason may massively impact the media freedom and journalists’ safety in Myanmar.

Moreover, internet shutdown in a total of 25 townships of Kachin State, Chin State, Sagaing Region, Magway Region, and Mandalay Region since August and September 2021; is considered to be the action of the Military Council to deliberately breach the access to information and freedom of expression of the local people in these areas.

Hence, BNI, as an organization that has been continuously advocating for media freedom and ethnic media affairs, demands as follow;

- Immediately release the detained media personnel in the whole country;

- Do not mentally and physically torture detained media personnel in prisons and

investigation centres;

- Revoke the warrant issued to arrest media personnel with various charges;

- Re-allow news production of the news agencies of which news production licenses

revoked;

- Respect the freedom of expression, publication, and access to information.