PEC Demands Justice for Myanmar Photographer Aye Kyaw

Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the global media safety and rights body, has demanded justice to Myanmar photographer Aye Kyaw, who died in military custody recently.

The photographer who belongs to the Sagaing region was known for documenting anti-junta demonstrations and other activities spread across the south-east Asian country after the military dictators made a coup on February 1, 2021 to grab power ousting the democratically elected Aung San Suu Kyi’s government in Naypietaw.

Aye Kyaw, the second journalist to succumb to junta atrocities was detained by the military junta late on July 30. The military authorities later informed that he was dead.

A senior member of Upper Myanmar Photography Association was cremated on Sunday after performing necessary rituals. They guess that the senior general Min Aung Hlaing led brutal military regime was angry with Aye Kyaw as he used to post photographs taken from anti-junta demonstrations in social media, which was later forwarded by a large number of pro-democracy politicians and also uploaded in local media outlets.

President of PEC, Blaise Lempen said, “Myanmar has faced a chaotic socio-political situation, where the military rulers are targeting the activists and also the journalists. Till date, they have arrested over 130 media persons and among them 25 Burmese journalists are still behind the bars, where some of them were already imprisoned for longer periods.”

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