Military Court has Sentenced a Myanmar Journalist to Life in Prison, outlet's editor says

Bangkok: A military court in Myanmar has given a life prison sentence to a local journalist and sentenced one of his colleagues to 20 years after convicting m under a counterterrorism law, ir editor said Wednesday.

sentences for Myo Myint Oo and Aung San Oo of independent online news service Dawei Watch appear to be most severe dealt to any journalist since military seized power from elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. takeover triggered armed resistance and an ongoing civil war.

Myanmar is one of world's biggest jailers of journalists, second only to China, according to Paris-based press freedom group Reporters Without Borders, which ranks it near bottom of its Press Freedom Index at 171st of 180 countries.

Last week, two freelance journalists in Myanmar were killed, one allegedly after being captured, when security forces raided home of one of m in sourn state of Mon. Several local resistance fighters were also killed.

Dawei Watch's Myo Myint Oo, 41, and Aung San Oo, 49, were arrested separately last December at ir homes in coastal town of Myeik, about 560 km (350 miles) south of Yangon, three days after returning from hiding.

military government hasn't commented on ir cases.

Kyaw San Min, chief editor of Dawei Watch media, told Associated Press on Wednesday that Aung San Oo was initially sentenced to 20 years in prison by a military court in Myeik prison in February and Myo Myint Oo was handed a life sentence by same court in May, but he was unable to learn furr details.

He said both men were convicted under Myanmar's Counterterrorism Law, but circumstances were not clear. law punishes acts of violence and “acts of exhortation, persuasion, propaganda and recruitment of any person to participate in any terrorist group or activities of terrorism”.

Kyaw San Min said information about sentences h been been received some time ago but he withheld it until now, when security of men's family members h been secured. He did not elaborate.

“ sentences imposed on two journalists are quite severe. Sentencing journalists with such large penalties is very unjust,” editor said.

Kyaw San Min said a total of five reporters and a columnist from Dawei Watch have been arrested since army began cracking down on independent media after its seizure of power. Three of journalists have been released.

Most media outlets, including Dawei Watch, now operate semi-clandestinely, publishing online as staff members try to avoid arrest. Ors operate from exile.

Dawei Watch released a statement on its Facebook page on Tuesday saying it strongly condemned military government for illegally arresting, interrogating and detaining journalists without giving m right to fair defense under law.

“We urge ir immediate release,” it said.

statement said security forces told Myo Myint Oo and Aung San Oo y were being detained because of ir reporting. ir laptops and phones were seized.

two were beaten during four days in a detention centre before being transferred to prison, statement said. AP and ors have reported how some detainees are tortured after ir arrests.

“se s of extreme court rulings aim to instill fear among all reporters and will have a chilling effect across Myanmar's independent media," Shawn Crispin, Souast Asia representative for New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, said in an emailed statement.

At least seven media workers in Myanmar have been killed and ors tortured while in detention since military takeover, according to media workers in Myanmar who track situation. y say at least 15 media outlets have h ir licenses revoked and at least 172 journalists have been arrested, with about 40 to 50 still detained and half of those convicted and sentenced.

Most of detained journalists were charged with incitement for allegedly causing fear, spreing false news or agitating against a government employee or for violating Counterterrorism Law.