Foreign press demands EMG case probe
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) has called on the Myanmar authorities to ensure a swift and impartial investigation into the death of Ko Soe Moe Tun of the Eleven Media Group, and to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The club said it was disturbed to hear of the killing in Sagaing Region. His body was discovered just after midnight on December 13 near his home town of Monywa. The police say he was beaten to death and believe he was murdered. Soe Moe Tun was a prolific journalist who reported frequently on illegal logging and the long-standing dispute over the Chinese-controlled Monywa copper mine. He had worked for the EMG since 2015.
The FCCT said that over the past four years there had been a welcome improvement in the media environment, resulting in a far wider range of information. However, the FCCT said it was concerned by previous incidents where journalists had been physically attacked and prison sentences imposed on at least 10 media staff for anti-state activities. Reporting in many parts of the country remained restricted and there was evidence of government pressure on the media to dismiss or censor critical journalists, it added.
The Myanmar Journalist Network, Myitmakha News Agency, Southern Myanmar Journalist Network and other organisations issued similar statements on the killing of Ko Soe Moe Tun.
The Sagaing police say an investigation is under way.