International body demands the release of Burmese political prisoners

                                                                                                                                                                NJ Thakuria

Guwahati: Expressing serious concerns over the latest crisis faced by the people of Myanmar (formerly Burma) due to the Covid-19 pandemic under a military regime in NayPieTaw, Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), a Geneva-based global media safety and rights body demands all political prisoners, including the journalists, to be released without any prerequisite.

It may be mentioned that the military rulers of the south-Asian nation, which is an eastern neighbour to Bharat, have killed at least 945 people, arrested over 7,026, detained (or sentenced) nearly 5,474 and displaced more than 230,000 ethnic minorities since the coup on 1 February 2021, overthrowing the democratically elected Aung San Suu Kyi's government.

“The Burmese junta has arrested no less than 98 journalists where 43 scribes are still behind the bars. Moreover, the military authority has crushed the free press compelling a number of media houses to lock their offices and even forced many journalists to go on hide to avoid the harassment (if not arrest) on a daily basis,” said Blaise Lempen, general secretary of PEC.

Recently. a group of Nobel peace laureates came out with the statement to call for the release of Myanmar's leading women's rights defender Thin Thin Aung, who co-founded the Mizzima Newsgroup based in Yangon. Ms Aung, who used to be in New Delhi during her exile days, is among hundreds who are facing imprisonment over materials (unpleasant to junta) published and broadcast by media outlets.

“Mizzima is outlawed and our offices are repeatedly raided. We are now operating from hideouts,” said Soe Myint, the chief editor of Mizzima group, adding that despite all threats and troubles, multiple media outlets of Mizzima continue to operate with the primary aim to oppose the military coup and help to restore multi-party democracy in Myanmar.

Meanwhile, exile activists argued that the military chief Min Aung Hlaing is trying to legitimise the Burmese junta by asking the international community for offering humanitarian aids to Myanmar's 60 million people. They pointed out that Myanmar is currently facing a pandemic with fewer vaccinated citizens and low-quality medical care across the country.