Two more journalists arrested in Myanmar amid military’s media crackdown

Two more journalists have been arrested in Myanmar amid a crackdown by the military on the media since the coup in February.

An army-owned media outlet reported the arrests on Saturday of two local journalists, Sithu Aung Myint and Htet Htet Khine, according to Reuters.

Khine, a freelance journalist who previously worked for the BBC Burmese service, is accused of helping Myint hide from the army and supporting the shadow government.

Myint, a commentator for Voice of America and columnist at Frontier Myanmar, is charged with sedition and spreading false information.

The military says Myint encouraged individuals to illegally protest against them.

Myint and Khine were both arrested on Aug. 15, Reuters noted. 

This is not the first time a journalist from Frontier Myanmar was arrested by the military.

An American editor for the outlet has been in jail since May. The military believes he worked for Myanmar Now, an outlet that has been banned by the force. The editor has not worked for Myanmar Now since 2020.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners says more than 5,700 people have been arrested by the military since the coup, with more than 1,000 killed. 

The military coup occurred after officials claimed without evidence that the country’s democratic elections were fraudulent. The coup deposed the country’s former leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. 

The junta say they will host elections and relinquish power, but have given no timeline for such action.