YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – A video of the arrest of journalist Thein Zaw, Associated Press, while taking pictures of Myanmar security forces accusing protesters of coup d’etat, shows how quickly he is surrounded and in a stranglehold is held while handcuffs are placed on it.
Authorities have charged Thein Zaw and five other members of the media with violating a public order law that could detain them for up to three years.
The video begins with Thein Zaw standing by the roadside on Saturday, photographing dozens of security forces as they run to a group of protesters in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city.
Several police walk up to him, and he tries to escape. At least seven surround him as he is placed in a stranglehold. He is pushed and shoved and quickly handcuffed. A policeman with a bullhorn then uses the handcuffs to pull him away.
Many of the police have locks, while some have guns and automatic weapons.
“The Associated Press is calling for the immediate release of AP journalist Thein Zaw, who is charged with a crime in Myanmar for merely doing his job,” Ian Phillips, AP vice president for international news, said on Wednesday. “Independent journalists must be allowed to report the news freely and safely without fear of retaliation. AP condemns the charge against Thein Zaw and his arbitrary detention. ”
The army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in a February 1 coup. Protesters showed peace against the coup, even as security forces dramatically increased their repression. At least 33 protesters were killed on Wednesday according to accounts on social media and local news reports compiled by a data analyst.
Authorities also arrested people.
Lawyer Tin Zar Oo, representing Thein Zaw, said his client was one of six journalists charged under a law that punishes anyone who causes fear among the public, knowingly spreads false news or stirs directly or indirectly for a criminal offense against a government employee. The law was amended by the junta last month to increase its scope and increase the maximum prison sentence of two years.
The group includes journalists working for Myanmar Now, Myanmar Photo Agency, 7Day News, Zee Kwet online news and a freelancer.
Legal and press freedom groups demanded the release of the journalists, and the Asia American Journalists Association’s Asia Chapter joined on Wednesday.
“AAJA-Asia fully supports Burmese journalists, and urges all authorities in Myanmar to maintain press freedom and allow the media to report on the news without fear of retaliation,” the group said in a statement. “We demand that violence, censorship and prosecution be stopped immediately.”
Thein Zaw, 32, is reportedly being held at Insein Prison in northern Yangon, notorious for housing political prisoners under previous military regimes.
According to the lawyer, Thein Zaw was arrested by a court and he can be detained until March 12 without further trial or further steps.
In December 2017, two journalists working for the Reuters news agency were arrested while working on a story about the Rohingya minority in Myanmar. They were accused of possessing official documents illegally, although they argued that they had been drafted because of the official opposition to their reporting.
Although their case attracted international attention, they were convicted the following year and sentenced to seven years in prison. They were released in 2019 in a mass presidential pardon.