Record Number of Writers Jailed Worldwide in 2023
There were 339 writers from 33 countries jailed in 2023, an increase of 62 writers compared to 2022 and 101 more than in 2019. More
Shin Daewe
Shin Daewe is a prominent screenwriter and filmmaker whose works comment on poverty and social issues. She was arrested in October 2023 after police confiscated a video drone… More
Bo Bo Htoo Chaw Ba Thit
Bo Bo Htoo, a poet and literary writer, was arrested at his home on November 15, 2021 by military authorities and first sent to an interrogation camp. He was… More
Htun Zaw Win Wyne
Htun Zaw Win, also known as Wyne, is a screenwriter and director whose films have won multiple awards from the Myanmar Motion Picture Organization. His short film Ban That… More
Kyaw Min Yu Ko Jimmy
Literary writer and prominent pro-democracy activist "Ko Jimmy," imprisoned multiple times previously, was charged over his Facebook posts in February 2021 and arrested in October; a military tribunal sentenced… More
Zarganar Maung Thura
On April 6, 2021, comedian Zarganar was arrested in a broader campaign against cultural figures following the 2021 military coup. He was released conditionally on October 18, 2021 after… More
With President Biden’s Signature, ‘Burma Act’ Becomes Law With Aim of Holding Military Accountable and Supporting A Democratic Myanmar
Laura Schroeder, senior manager of Legislative Affairs at PEN America, said: “The BURMA Act is an important step to hold the military junta accountable for the horrors it has… More
NEW PEN America Report: Digital Censorship and Threats to Creative Expression Rise Against Artists in Asia
“In the last two years, we have witnessed a steady rise in threats and persecution of artists across Asia, a trend where governments are deliberately targeting and silencing cultural… More
Myanmar Spring Diary
Writers from India and the Indian diaspora reflect on the state of free expression in India in its 75th year of independence. More
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