Danny Fenster was detained at Yangon airport before he could fly home for a visit to the United States. Some 34 journalists are still held by the military. Fierce fighting is pitting rebels against Myanmar’s military in Kachin State. The UN Assembly is set to vote a resolution calling for an arms sales embargo against country.
Yangon (AsiaNews) – Myanmar’s security authorities arrested a US journalist yesterday as he was set to fly out of Myanmar’s former capital, the Frontier Myanmar news magazine and website twitted.
Danny Fenster, the publication’s editor-in-chief, was detained at Yangon International Airport. He wanted to go back to the United States to see his family.
Frontier Myanmar noted that it was not aware of the reasons behind his arrest and has called for his immediate release.
Since it carried out a coup on 1 February, Myanmar’s ruling military junta has increasingly targeted journalists and reporters.
According to Reporters Without Borders, Myanmar ranks 140th out of 180 countries in Freedom of Information in 2021.
At least 34 journalists and photographers are still in military custody, this according to monitoring group Reporting ASEAN.
The country’s Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) are cracking down on foreign reporters to dissuade their local colleagues from covering the repression of the civil disobedience movement.
Fenster, 37, was taken to the infamous Insein prison, where many political prisoners are held.
Japanese reporter Yuki Kitazumi also spent some time in the facility. Back in Japan after his release last week, he said that political prisoners told him about the torture they endured, such as caning and sleep deprivation.
According to a group that monitors developments in Myanmar, since the overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government, the military has killed 824 people and jailed another 4,301.
Meanwhile, intense fighting continues between the military and rebel groups in Chin and Kayah States, as well as the Kachin Independence Army.
Yesterday's artillery fire in the Tarwar Kone and Kone Law areas prompted hundreds of residents to leave their homes.
The UN General Assembly also announced that in coming days it will vote on a resolution to impose a total arms sale embargo against Myanmar.
The vote was postponed last week under pressure from China and Russia. The measure must be approved by the Security Council, where Beijing and Moscow have a veto power.