Shillong, Dec 6: Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the global media safety and rights body, urges the military regime of Myanmar to release all media professionals before the proposed multi-phase elections starting on December 28.
The forum also insisted on abolishing new election interference law which continues harassing scribes and social media users in the name of cracking down against anti-nationals across the Southeast Asian nation.
The Buddhist majority country of nearly 55 million people is now witnessing a kind of civil war, where the Min Aung Hlaing-led Tatmadaw continue fighting against pro-democracy armed resistance units and in various battles the government forces face defeats. Almost half of the townships have gone out of military’s control, where the voting will be impossible to conduct. Thus a free, fair and comprehensive election in Myanmar remains elusive under the present political system.
“In the name of elections, the military rulers have imposed some strict guidelines treating the mainstream journalists and social media users in Myanmar. Thus they have taken a hard stand against any discussions on the faulty polls. Over five journalists along with press freedom defenders were executed by the military rulers. Many journalists had to escape the country for the sack of their lives and take shelter in the neighboring countries,” said Blaise Lempen, president of PEC (pressemblem.ch), adding that journalism must not be treated as crime by any authority around the world.
PEC’s south and Southeast Asia representative Nava Thakuria informed that over 200 journalists were detained and imprisoned since the military coup that overthrew the democratically elected Suu Kyi’s government in 2021. Nearly 50 media professionals are still behind the bars across the trouble-torn country. Permits of at least 15 media outlets were cancelled compelling them to work from hideouts amidst all troubles. It’s only hoped that the forthcoming elections will bring some relief to the media fraternity in regards to their security and professional concerns.
