AJF Campaign: #SaveHanThar
1 FEB 2021:
Myanmar’s Military seized control of the country and began to crack down on citizens, including media. AJF’s Press Freedom Tracker has recorded more than 100 press freedom incidents (almost all of them resulting in arrests), since.
At a time when Myanmar’s people and the global community need transparency of this crisis, and when the Myanmar Military seek to restore order in the country, these incursions on press freedom only make this more difficult.
Who is Han Thar?
Han Thar Nyein is a prominent journalist and co-founder of Kayamut Media in Myanmar. He has worked as a stringer for ABC and other foreign publishers over the years. He and his colleague, Nathan Maung, were detained when their offices were raided on 9 March.
According to numerous reports (CNN, Reuters, The Guardian, Al Jazeera) they were tortured whilst at an interrogation centre and faced extended periods of solitary confinement when transferred to Insein Prison in Yangon.
His long-time colleague and co-founder of Kamayut Media, Nathan Maung, is a US citizen and he has since been released. Why not Han Thar?
Without any evidence of wrongdoing, Han Thar must be released.
There are many media workers detained in Myanmar’s Insein Prison, just like Han Thar. Myanmar is a country with a rich history, a country in which democracy is clearly trying to survive.
Journalism is essential to democracy. Journalism is not a crime.
This is why we are launching this campaign to help Han Thar.
What can you do?
- Please like and retweet our post on Twitter.
- Please like and share our post on Facebook.
Support journalism, support democracy in Myanmar, support Han Thar.