Censoring the Media: Myanmar and the Military’s Suppression of Journalism
Over the past few weeks in Myanmar, there has been much unrest due to the military takeover of the government. The military regime appears to be attempting to go back to a time where the military was in total control of Myanmar, including the mainstream media, where only the wealthy have the ability to access cellphones and the internet.
In recent weeks, according to the New York Times, the regime has reportedly arrested at least 56 journalists and shot 3 photojournalists just for taking photos of anti-coup demonstrations. The military has been increasing attacks and arrests on journalists in recent weeks; to keep from being found out, journalists are attempting to blend in with the protesters by ridding themselves of any identifying clothing pieces, their professional-quality cameras and publishing their pieces anonymously. Some have gone so far as to avoid sleeping in their own homes out of fear. The military is also practicing censorship by outlawing all online news sources, banning Facebook, shutting down internet access nightly, and destroying communication abilities for the people of Myanmar by cutting off mobile data service.
Due to these extreme forms of censorship, professional journalists in Myanmar, many being young individuals, have become self-proclaimed “citizen journalists,” colloquially known as CJs, using social media to share photos and videos online so that their country does not become completely censored. As Ma Thuzar Myat, a CJ, has said, “They are targeting professional journalists so our country needs more CJs. I know I might get killed at some point for taking a video record of what is happening. But I won’t step back.” They are willing to risk their lives to keep others updated and informed despite only being citizens. Ms. Thuzar Myat’s life had even been threatened by a soldier, but she refused to stand down as she saw it as her duty to capture the evidence.
Democracy and liberty are being threatened in Myanmar and the public is not standing for it. U Swe Win, co-founder and chief of Myanmar Now, one banned news source, is comparing current day Myanmar to North Korea, as “they will crush any form of information gathering and sharing.” Myanmar has many past experiences of being threatened by the Tatmadaw, Myanmar’s armed forces. Back in 1962, it seized control for approximately half a century before allowing elected civilian leaders to share power and permitting the country to interact with the rest of the world. In 2012, fifty years after the previous regime was established, a quasi-civilian government came to power and access to cellphones and online media became common.
Fast forward to February 1, 2021-daily protests have halted the economy, resulting in soldiers and police forces becoming very hostile and killing at least 536 individuals. The United Nations warned that “a blood bath is imminent.” Even the country’s civilian leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, has been arrested among the other thousands in Myanmar. Despite these horrors, the U.N. Security Council has not attempted to penalize Myanmar’s military. They have, however, issued a statement expressing concern and condemnation of violence used against peaceful protesters and civilian deaths. The civilian deaths include not only women, but harmless children.
Soldiers and police have been also searching civilians’ phones for protest recordings or photographs, and if caught holding any, the individual can be imprisoned. Even more dangerous, if journalists are caught trying to record or photograph, they are shot at or beaten without mercy by the soldiers. Ko Hyet Myat Thu, a freelance journalist, was photographing a protest in the town of Kyaikto, and a soldier shot him in the leg before beating him so badly that he had to hop on his good leg when he was being led away. More photojournalists have shared similar stories of violence. U Si Thu was holding a camera to his face, photographing Myanmar soldiers in Mandalay, when he was shot in his left hand. He believes that the soldier was aiming for his head as the two cameras he possessed made it very clear that he was a professional photojournalist.
As for arrests, of the 56 journalists, half have already been released, but the other 28 are still in custody with 15 facing prison sentences of up to three years. The law allowing for this kind of sentence is unusual, as it “prohibits the dissemination of information that might induce military officers to disregard or fail in their duties”. A Myanmar Now reporter, Ma Kay Zon Nway, live-streamed her arrest running from police in Yangon, showing police firing freely into their air as protesters flee until she gets caught and taken away. She has been charged under the vague and sweeping statute. They have allowed her one meeting with her lawyer and a court proceeding; however, this appears to be merely formality and fair treatment is unexpected. Outside of the prisons, The Guardian reports that hundreds of individuals are taking part in silent protests to honour the movement’s “fallen heroes.”
This is atrocious, not only because of the heinous actions of the Myanmar military against journalists and citizens of their country, but because of the military censoring their ability to share their stories with the international community. So, any chance you, as a Canadian citizen, get to freely share with others about this travesty, do it. The voices and sacrifices of those on the front lines reporting on the violence must not go unnoticed.