Myanmar: 10 Years Added to Yadanar Khet Moh Moh Tun’s Sentence
CFWIJ urges the military to cease the vendetta against journalists and calls on the UN to act
Location: Myanmar, Yangon
Date: May 26, 2023
Yangon's Thingangyun District Court sentences Ma Hmu Yadanar Khat Moh Moh Tun — a journalist with Myanmar Press Photo Agency — to 10 years with hard labor for financing terror on top of a three-year sentence for disseminating fake news. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is utterly dismayed by Ma Hmu Yadanar Khat Moh Moh Tun’s conviction and calls upon the international community to act under close scrutiny.
Yadanar Khat Moh Moh Tun was arrested on December 5, 2021, while covering an anti-coup protest in Kyimyindaing Township. The journalist was injured by a speeding army vehicle prior to her arrest.
The conviction of Yadanar Khat Moh Moh Tun is the latest in a crackdown on the free press since General Min Aung Hlaing led a military coup detaining the country's democratically elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi and other government officials on February 1st, 2021.
The military has targeted journalists and media organizations since for reporting on protests and the crackdown on dissent has sought to control the flow of information by restricting access to the internet and social media. The military junta has imprisoned, detained, or threatened many journalists.
CFWIJ maintains regular communication with reporters in Myanmar, who describe a harrowing situation of constant persecution and a suffocating media environment. Many journalists, whom CFWIJ has spoken to, have reported on the conditions while in hiding, detailing detentions and physical violence that have left them tormented and traumatized.
“The military, together with the police and their informants, began to intimidate and threaten citizens on an unprecedented scale,” a woman journalist told CFWIJ in 2021. “Police raids the houses in search of certain individuals or “so-called” incriminating evidence. These activities are being conducted everywhere: continuously and repeatedly."
“The conviction shows the clear attitude and intention of the military council toward journalists. Freedom of the press is now far away”
Yadanar Khat Moh Moh Tun’s lawyer, who asked to remain anonymous, said their client was convicted for having financial links to resistance groups. These groups have been designated as terrorist organizations by the military regime. The journalist has decided not to appeal.
“The conviction shows the clear attitude and intention of the military council toward journalists. Freedom of the press is now far away,” the founder and editor of Myanmar Pressphoto Agency, J Paing, told AP.
Family members of Yadanar Khat Moh Moh Tun are worried about her condition after receiving the additional sentence. The journalist suffered severe injuries to her legs and head after being hit by the army vehicle. Although she received medical care while awaiting trial, Yadanar Khat Moh Moh Tun needs crutches to walk.
“There was only one case earlier, so we could be strong in our minds. But she received another sentence, and we are very sad for her,” a family member told AP. “She told us not to worry too much and to stay strong. What we can do right now is pray for her release as soon as possible.”
Ma Hmu Yadanar Khat Moh Moh Tun is a video journalist with Myanmar Press Photo Agency. She is a camera operator, documentary, and filmmaker who has covered human rights and politics in Myanmar.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is continuously monitoring the situation in Myanmar with great concern. We are extremely worried about Ma Hmu Yadanar Khet Moh Moh Tun’s condition and horrified by the 13-year-long sentence she received for doing her job. We stand in solidarity with Yadanar Khet Moh Moh Tun, whose conviction is aimed at intimidating other journalists from doing their job. We urge the military to cease this unjustified vendetta against journalists and human rights activists. At the same time, we urge the UN, specifically the special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, to seek effective international sanctions to push the regime to cease its crackdown on the free press.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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