Myanmar
Since the February 2021 coup, the state of free expression in Myanmar has rapidly deteriorated. Prior to the military’s seizure of power, Myanmar already ranked among the world’s top 10 jailers of writers, poets, and public intellectuals. The oppression by the military junta, coupled with fighting between the military and its many opposition forces, have continued to result in immense violence and a further erosion of human rights.
What You Need to Know
The 2023 Freedom To Write Index showed that the number of imprisoned writers decreased to 12, from 16 in 2022, putting Myanmar ninth in the top 10 countries jailing writers. A number of writers jailed since the initial days of the coup were released in a mass amnesty in January 2023.
Writers and other creative artists have played a key role in voicing support for the countrywide civil disobedience movement against military rule. At risk of arrest and detention, hundreds of writers, artists, activists, and public intellectuals operate in hiding within Myanmar or have fled into exile.
Under Myanmar’s restrictive legal framework, writers have long been targeted and detained for spurious national security crimes such as “incitement” and “treason” as a result of their expression.
News
Individual Cases
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Htin Lin Oo
Status: ReleasedHtin Lin Oo, a former political prisoner, was detained in the first hours of the military coup in February 2021.… More
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Kyaw Soe Oo
Status: ReleasedReuters reporter Kyaw Soe Oo was arrested in December 2017 with his colleague Wa Lone after they covered a massacre… More
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Spring Diary
The authors of Myanmar Spring Diary, a poignant collection of 10 short stories and 12 poems, reflect on the countless acts of courage and tragic losses in the wake of the 2021 military coup, and pay tribute to the Spring Revolution heroes. Their stories and poems are set against the backdrop of Myanmar’s 10 year experiment with quasi-democracy, as well as the previous five decades of military rule. The poems were written in Myanmar’s languages and have been translated into English for the first time.
Reports
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Stolen Freedoms
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Unfinished Freedom
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Freedom to Write Index 2023
