Rakhine-based journalists slam imprisonment of reporter

The statement said that the imprisonment of EMG’s reporter Ma Khine by Loikaw Township court could damage the dignity of the judiciary, in addition to suppressing the media freedom and the rights to report news freely. 

While the government has been promising that it will implement a democratic reform plan, the statement said that the imprisonment of a reporter went against democratic values. The people are dependent upon media for democracy reform and the imprisonment of Ma Khine is being viewed as a lack of respect of the fourth pillar, the statement said.

“This judgement is intended to oppress all journalists in Myanmar. We can’t accept it and are calling for her release,” Bagyi Kyaw, a reporter from government-run daily, The Mirror, said. 

In the statement, the journalists have called on the government to reconsider the prison sentence, saying it seemed like the government was bullying all journalists.

“This decision needs to be reviewed because it is unfair judgement for journalists even though they have been given media rights. The government needs to be careful with a case like this. Actually the journalists from Rakhine state are already facing difficulties and I want to ask the government not to oppress media rights,” Kyaw Sein Than, a reporter from Street View journal, said.