Published
Saturday, September 22, 2007 - 02:48
Journalists prevented from taking pictures of protesting monks in Burma
As hundreds of Buddhist monks in Burma take over from civilians to march across towns in defiance of the totalitarian military regime that has shown little tolerance for dissent, journalists are being prevented from taking pictures of what is essentially a slap in the face for the junta.
20 September 2007
Source: Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA)
As hundreds of Buddhist monks in Burma take over from civilians to march across towns in defiance of the totalitarian military regime that has shown little tolerance for dissent, journalists are being prevented from taking pictures of what is essentially a slap in the face for the junta.
Source: Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA)
As hundreds of Buddhist monks in Burma take over from civilians to march across towns in defiance of the totalitarian military regime that has shown little tolerance for dissent, journalists are being prevented from taking pictures of what is essentially a slap in the face for the junta.
The monks, who are deeply revered in the Buddhist-majority nation, have taken to the streets in Rangoon and Mandalay since 18 September 2007, and are boycotting alms from the junta and their families to protest the recent beating of a group of monks and the violent suppression of public demonstrations against a fivefold hike in fuel prices in the impoverished country. More than 100 demonstrators remain in prison after they were arrested for joining the rare mass protests that started on 19 August.
Moe Kyaw, a journalist for the weekly "The Voice", said plainclothes police seized a US$200 memory card from him while he was covering the march of the monks in front of the La Pyae Won Plaza, Rangoon, at about 3:15 p.m. (local time) on 18 September.
The exile-run news agency Mizzima reported that unidentified men grabbed the camera of Kyodo News Agency journalist Myat Thu Ya and attempted to push him into a car. He was released after he showed his identity card. His camera, though, was taken away.
Meanwhile, the digital camera and memory card seized from TV Asahi journalist Han Htway Aung by the Police Special Branch while he was taking pictures of the marching monks on 18 September have been returned to him. However, he was told to erase all pictures on the memory card.
A symbolic censure of the junta, the march of the monks that began on 18 September also coincided with the 19th anniversary of a military coup that crushed a pro-democracy uprising against military rule, imposed since 1962.
Moe Kyaw, a journalist for the weekly "The Voice", said plainclothes police seized a US$200 memory card from him while he was covering the march of the monks in front of the La Pyae Won Plaza, Rangoon, at about 3:15 p.m. (local time) on 18 September.
The exile-run news agency Mizzima reported that unidentified men grabbed the camera of Kyodo News Agency journalist Myat Thu Ya and attempted to push him into a car. He was released after he showed his identity card. His camera, though, was taken away.
Meanwhile, the digital camera and memory card seized from TV Asahi journalist Han Htway Aung by the Police Special Branch while he was taking pictures of the marching monks on 18 September have been returned to him. However, he was told to erase all pictures on the memory card.
A symbolic censure of the junta, the march of the monks that began on 18 September also coincided with the 19th anniversary of a military coup that crushed a pro-democracy uprising against military rule, imposed since 1962.
