The Myanmar junta’s security forces raided the office of Kamayut Media in Yangon on Tuesday afternoon before arresting members of the organization’s leadership in an ongoing crackdown on local media.
After raiding the office, located on San Yeik Nyein 6th Street in Yangon’s Kamayut Township, security forces arrested the publication’s co-founder Han Thar Nyein and editor-in-chief Nathan Maung, their family members confirmed.
“There were about eight trucks. They broke into the office and searched it for about two hours. Then they loaded the stuff from the office onto the trucks,” a witness told Myanmar Now.
Kamayut Media was founded in 2012 and is a privately owned online publication.
The move came less than 24 hours after the ruling military council revoked the publishing licenses of five local media outlets—Myanmar Now, 7Day, Mizzima, DVB, and Khit Thit—on Monday night.
Security forces also raided Myanmar Now’s office in downtown Yangon on Monday afternoon.
After the February 1 coup, the military threatened news organizations not to refer to the military’s takeover of the government as a “coup,” nor to describe the military as “the regime” or “the junta,” declaring such terms as a violation of publishing laws.
Since the military coup, at least 35 journalists have been arrested by police and soldiers while doing their jobs. Only 19 have been released from detention.
Ten journalists, including Myanmar Now’s own reporter Kay Zon Nway, are facing charges under the Penal Code that carry a maximum sentence of up to three years in prison.
Kay Zon Nway was arrested while livestreaming a protest in Yangon late last month. She is being held at Insein prison and has been remanded to custody until March 12.
