Original article published on the IFJ website on 2 September, 2024.
Journalists Myo Myint Oo and Aung San Oo, associated with the independent online media outlet Dawei Watch, were sentenced to life and 20 years imprisonment respectively by a military court in the city of Myeik in southern Myanmar on August 27, with authorities failing to explain the verdict. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), and its affiliate, the Myanmar Journalist Network (MJN), condemn the sentencing and urge global governments, civil society organisations, and development actors to increase their efforts to support independent Burmese media.
Dawei Watch confirmed on August 27 that two affiliated journalists, Aung San Oo (L) and Myo Myint Oo (R), were sentenced to decades in prison in closed-door trials earlier this year. Credit: Facebook
On August 27, Ko Kyaw, chief editor of independent media Dawei Watch announced that two independent journalists associated with the media outlet, Myo Myint Oo and Aung San Oo, were convicted under Myanmar’s Counter-Terrorism Law and sentenced, respectively, to life and 20 years in prison by a military court in the city of Myeik in southern Myanmar. Kyaw stated that the sentences were not made public until recently.
Myint Oo was sentenced on February 16, and San Oo on May 15, after being denied the right to a legal defence or the opportunity to speak in court. The court has not released a detailed explanation or rationale behind the verdict, and no opportunity to inquire about the judicial process.
On August 27, Ko Kyaw, chief editor of independent media Dawei Watch announced that two independent journalists associated with the media outlet, Myo Myint Oo and Aung San Oo, were convicted under Myanmar’s Counter-Terrorism Law and sentenced, respectively, to life and 20 years in prison by a military court in the city of Myeik in southern Myanmar. Kyaw stated that the sentences were not made public until recently.
Myint Oo was sentenced on February 16, and San Oo on May 15, after being denied the right to a legal defence or the opportunity to speak in court. The court has not released a detailed explanation or rationale behind the verdict, and no opportunity to inquire about the judicial process.
Since the military junta seized power in 2021, Myanmar’s media have faced arrests, attacks, and killings. On August 21, two journalists associated with the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), Ko Htet Myat Thu and Ko Win Htut Oo, were killed as a result of a home raid by the military junta in the southern Mon state.
The MJN stated: “The sentencing of two journalists from Dawei Watch to excessively long prison terms highlights the military junta’s hostility towards the media and the intense pressure they are exerting. The fact that the two journalists, who were arrested in a town not under martial law, were tried and convicted in a military court located in a town under martial law, indicates a blatant disregard for existing laws and is seen by MJN as an attempt to intimidate independent journalists and hinder their work. MJN also condemns this sentencing.”
The IFJ stated:“The harsh sentencing of the Myo Myint Oo and Aung San Oo are clear violations of press freedom and human rights. Their trials, shrouded in secrecy and contrary to internationally accepted legal proceedings, are a clear example of the repression carried out by the junta over the past three years. The international community must do more to support Myanmar’s embattled media community.”