Three arrested at Myanmar media outlet released, says employer

The military has squeezed the press since taking power in a coup last year. - Reuters

YANGON, Jan 25, 2022 (AFP): Myanmar junta authorities have released three local media workers arrested in nighttime raids last week, their employer said on Tuesday.

The military has squeezed the press since taking power in a coup last year, arresting dozens of journalists critical of its crackdown, which has killed almost 1,500 people according to a local monitoring group.

Local outlet Dawei Watch said three of its employees arrested in separate raids in the southern city of Dawei on the night of January 18 had "been released" on Tuesday afternoon.

"We really thank all of you who supported us during their detention," it added, without giving details on why the trio had been released or the reason for their arrest.

Two of the three are journalists and the third a web designer, an editor at the outlet told AFP, adding none of the three had been charged.

Since the coup, 115 journalists have been arrested, according to local monitoring group Reporting ASEAN, with 44 still in prison. One has died in custody, according to the group.

Only China jailed more reporters than Myanmar last year, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Several foreign journalists have been detained, including US citizen Danny Fenster, who was jailed for 11 years in November before being pardoned and released days later. - AFP