VIOLENCE INSIDE THE PRISON
Myat Thu Kyaw who was arrested in January 2023 while
covering news on Pansodan road in Yangon, was reportedly
subjected to violence while detained in Insein Prison, one of
Myanmarβs most notorious detention facilities. He is currently
serving a total sentence of eight and a half years: three years in
prison under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code and an additional
five-and-a-half-year sentence under the Counter-Terrorism Law.
Along with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ),
fellow journalists called for the immediaterelease of photojournalist Myat Thu Kyaw. Shawn Crispin, CPJβs Senior Southeast Asia
Representative, said βThe physical abuse of Myat Thu Kyaw is
yet another disturbing example of the dire conditions faced by
Reports of abuse inside
the prison raise serious
concerns about the
treatment of detained
journalists, including the
imprisoned journalists in Myanmar. CPJ urges Myanmar author-
use of violence, lack of due
ities to ensure his safety and health, to end all forms of mistreat-
process, and limited access
ment during detention, and to unconditionally release him and
all journalists detained in connection with their work.β
to legal or medical support.
Reports of abuse inside the prison raise serious concerns
about the treatment of detained journalists, including the use of
violence, lack of due process, and limited access to legal or medical
support. His case reflects broader patterns in Myanmar, where
journalists face not only arbitrary arrest and harsh sentencing but
also physical risks.
Update on Journalism and Media Safety in Myanmar
9