Japanese Directors' Guild calls for release of another Myanmar filmmaker Maung Thein Dan

In this file photo taken on Feb 9, 2021, protesters wear wet weather gear to protect against police water cannon as they take part in a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon. - AFP

LOS ANGELES/YANGON, Aug 16 (Variety.com-Reuters): The Directors' Guild of Japan has called on authorities in Myanmar to release filmmaker Maung Thein Dan. He has been detained and jailed pending a trial.

Myanmar was wracked by a military coup on Feb 1, 2021 which toppled the civilian government of Ang San Suu Kyi. The army has since mounted a brutal crackdown that notably involves control of most media within the country, the arrest of celebrities, and other efforts to eliminate dissent.