Myanmar: Junta charges media outlet as contributor remains imprisoned

Myanmar's military filed legal charges against the exile-run Assistance Association for Myanmar-based Independent Journalists (AAMIJ) News on November 10 under the junta's 'election protection law', as its contributor Myat Thu Kyaw continues to languish in jail. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Myanmar Journalists Network (MJN), urge the junta to immediately drop all charges against AAMIJ News and release Myat Thu Kyaw.

Journalist Myat Thu Kyaw was arrested on January 13, 2023, and received an additional 5 years and 6 months detention on January 28, 2025. Credit: AAMIJ News.

In a statement released by AAMIJ News on November 12, the organisation said the case was lodged days after it reported that a candidate in Myanmar's upcoming 'election' was allegedly involved in illegal drug trafficking. The so-called elections, planned for December 2025, have been condemned internationally as a fraudulent attempt by the junta to manufacture legitimacy.

Passed in July, the 'election protection law' carries prison terms from three years to life for those deemed to threaten, obstruct, abuse, or harm election officials, candidates, or voters. AAMIJ's editorial team said the lawsuit represents a "direct violation of the fundamental principles of democracy" and that it remains committed to exposing human rights violations in Myanmar.

AAMIJ freelance contributor Myat Thu Kyaw remains jailed in Yangon's Insein Prison after being arrested while taking photos for his reporting on January 13, 2023. He was sentenced to three years for criminal incitement under Section 505(a) of Myanmar's Penal Code on July 31, 2023, but received an additional five years and six months on January 28, 2025, under Section 52(a) of Myanmar's Counterterrorism Law.

While the journalist's family initially kept the case private in the hope of leniency, they chose to speak out following his second conviction. Reports indicate Myat Thu Kyaw was severely beaten and stabbed with a knife during military interrogation after his arrest in 2023.

Since the 2021 coup, at least seven journalists have been killed, according to the MJN. As of August 2025, the International Centre for Not-for-Profit Law recorded at least 223 journalists detained by the junta, with 91 sentenced to a combined total of 511 years in prison. As of July 2025, 49 journalists remain in prison.

MJN said:"The MJN denounces the junta's new lawsuit against AAMIJ and Myat Thu Kyaw under the recently enacted Election Protection Law. This action is an unacceptable and illogical escalation of the oppression against Myanmar's press freedom."

IFJ said:"The so-called 'election protection law' is a transparent weapon designed to criminalise freedom of speech, expression, and association as the junta's persecution of independent and critical media continues. Myanmar's military must immediately drop the baseless charges against AAMIJ News and ensure Myat Thu Kyaw's release from prison."