Myanmar Military Brutally Shot and Killed Two Journalists, Has Denied Adequate Healthcare to Detainees
23 August 2024
1. On August 21, around 9:00 AM, in Letpya village, Kyaikto Township, Mon State, the military junta launched a violent raid, involving about 20 soldiers, on the family compound of freelance journalist Ko Htet Myat Thu. The raid involving gunfire killed four individuals, including two journalists.
2. During the assault, local freelance journalist Ko Win Htut Oo, also known as Fizal, who worked for the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), was shot dead on the spot alongside another person. Ko Htet Myat Thu and another individual were apprehended, tied up, and taken to the headquarters of Battalion 44 near Taung Kale village, where they subsequently died, according to sources close to Battalion 44 as reported by Mizzima News.
3. Despite claims on pro-military Telegram channels that all four victims were members of the Kyaikto Revolutionary Force (KRF), it has been confirmed that Ko Htet Myat Thu and Ko Win Htut Oo were in fact journalists.
4. Ko Htet Myat Thu had previously been arrested by the military on March 27, 2021, while covering a protest against the coup. Not only was he shot in his leg, he was also imprisoned until his release in October 2021. Alongside Ko Htet Myat Thu, another local journalist known as Ko Win Htut Oo was also killed, who had worked for DVB as a citizen journalist since 2023.
5. We are deeply shocked and horrified by these extrajudicial killings of detained individuals and journalists in conflict zones, targeted by the military junta.
6. Additionally, we are gravely concerned about the widespread torture and denial of adequate healthcare to those detained, including journalists and prisoners of conscience, since the military coup on February 1, 2021.
7. The recent death of documentary filmmaker U Pe Maung Same, who died at Sakura Hospital in Yangon on August 19, three days after being released from prison, further exemplifies the dire conditions under military custody. According to his close friends, his untimely death highlights the lack of proper medical treatment for the prisoners.
8. U Pe Maung Same was arrested at a military checkpoint in Loikaw, the capital of Kayah State, in late May 2022. He was accused of collaborating with local People’s Defense Forces (PDF) and sharing video footage with the National Unity Government (NUG) and independent media, resulting in a three-year prison sentence.
9. While in Loikaw Prison, U Pe Maung Same contracted tuberculosis, and by April of this year, his condition had deteriorated to the point where he could no longer walk. He was later diagnosed with spinal tuberculosis. Despite being transferred to Insein Prison for treatment on July 13, his health did not improve.
10. Reports also indicate that he suffered four broken ribs during interrogation in Loikaw Prison and was denied adequate food and needed medical treatment in both prisons.
11. Since the military coup on February 1, 2021, 50 journalists have been arrested and remain imprisoned in several prisons across the country.
12. These incidents underscore the perilous conditions faced by the journalists in Myanmar, where the military junta continues to disregard basic human rights and press freedoms.
13. We, the IPCM, urgently call on regional and international organizations including governments that are dedicated to protecting press freedom and journalists, for your united and firm stance against the inhumane killing of the Myanmar military. We urge these bodies to collectively condemn and reject the junta administration by cutting the ties with them.
The Independent Press Council Myanmar (IPCM)
IPCM’s Contact Person
Nan Paw Gay (Chair Person) – 0926067631
Toe Zaw Latt (Secretary) – 0806834240
