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Former reporter for independent news outlet dies at Myanmar’s Insein Prison

July 31, 2024/in News

Nay Linn Htike wrote articles for the Democratic Voice of Burma before the 2021 military coup. A former reporter who was imprisoned under a law designed to punish comments that imply the military junta’s rule is illegitimate has died of cancer at an infamous prison near Yangon, a former coworker told Radio Free Asia. Nay […]

Myanmar schools caught in the crossfire: Myanmar Witness

July 23, 2024/in News

Myanmar Witness has just published an important report on the threat to schools in Myanmar, a report welcomed by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. Documenting damage to Myanmar’s education system since the 2021 coup, Myanmar Witness has documented 174 distinct incidents of violence affecting educational institutions in Myanmar since February 2021. Schools have […]

Former reporter for independent news outlet dies at Myanmar’s Insein Prison

July 31, 2024/in News

Myanmar schools caught in the crossfire: Myanmar Witness

July 23, 2024/in News

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Former reporter for independent news outlet dies at Myanmar’s Insein Prison

July 31, 2024/in News

Nay Linn Htike wrote articles for the Democratic Voice of Burma before the 2021 military coup.

A former reporter who was imprisoned under a law designed to punish comments that imply the military junta’s rule is illegitimate has died of cancer at an infamous prison near Yangon, a former coworker told Radio Free Asia.

Nay Linn Htike, a former freelance reporter for the independent Democratic Voice of Burma in eastern Bago region, died on July 29, according to the former coworker who requested anonymity for security reasons.

Several friends told RFA that Nay Linn Htike was suffering from oral cancer and was transferred from Daik-U Prison in a remote area of Bago region to Insein Prison to receive specialized medical care.

“He liked beetroot and developed ulcers in his mouth and was unable to receive adequate medical treatment,” one of the friends said.

Nay Linn Htike, who was in his 40s, published articles in the Democratic Voice of Burma before the February 2021 military coup.

ENG_BUR_REPORTER DIES_07312024.2.JPG — A model of the Insein Prison near Yangon, Myanmar is displayed in Yangon on April 2, 2018. (Victoria Milko/AP)

The former coworker said Nay Linn Htike was arrested while campaigning against the military after the coup and was prosecuted under Section 505(a) of the penal code, which was added by junta authorities to crack down on anti-military speech.

He was also charged under Section 52(a) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, which was also amended by the junta after the coup to make it easier to prosecute critics. He received an eight-year sentence.

“He was detained while participating in anti-military activities, reportedly as an organizer,” the former coworker said.

The friend told RFA that he received messages from Nay Linn Htike just before he was transferred to Insein.

“He wanted to ensure that those connected to him were informed about his whereabouts and health conditions,” the friend said.

Another friend of Nay Linn Htike told RFA that his family were unable to visit him at either of the prisons because they have been avoiding junta authorities.

RFA was unable to contact anyone at the office of the deputy director general of the junta’s Prisons Department to inquire about Nay Linn Htike’s death.

RFA News

Myanmar schools caught in the crossfire: Myanmar Witness

July 23, 2024/in News

Myanmar Witness has just published an important report on the threat to schools in Myanmar, a report welcomed by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.

Documenting damage to Myanmar’s education system since the 2021 coup, Myanmar Witness has documented 174 distinct incidents of violence affecting educational institutions in Myanmar since February 2021. Schools have been damaged by airstrikes, weaponry, and fire, with some hit multiple times. These events have caused significant infrastructure damage, impacting children’s education in the short and long term.

Myanmar Witness’ analysis draws from two primary datasets: the primary dataset (113 incidents), and a drone-specific dataset (61 incidents). The data reveals a steady increase in reported incidents affecting schools since February 2021, peaking in March 2024. The trend is consistent with data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) on school infrastructure. Additional sources, including the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) and United Nations Human Rights Council (UN HRC) analysis, also indicate a rise since the coup.

The Myanmar military is implicated in 90 of the 113 cases documented in the primary dataset, with just under half resulting in major damage or total destruction to school infrastructure. In contrast, People’s Defence Force (PDF) linked incidents generally caused less harm to educational infrastructure.

Sagaing Region has the highest number of incidents impacting school infrastructure (36 incidents, 33% of dataset), followed by Shan, Kayin and Kayah (11 incidents each, 10.1% of dataset, respectively) reflecting their status as major conflict zones. The drone specific dataset also indicates 36.8% of drone incidents occurred in Sagaing.

Myanmar Witness has assessed the varying levels of damage inflicted upon schools in their primary dataset, as well as examining damage to the surrounding areas (villages and towns).

A total of 31.5% of schools sustained major damage, potentially rendering the schools inoperable, while 9% were completely destroyed (primary dataset). The high percentage of incidents affecting surrounding areas suggests schools may not have been the main target. Thus, damage to schools could be the result of collateral damage during conflict.

Myanmar Witness has collected 64 reports of fatalities and 106 reports of injuries, though very few deaths have been verified due to challenges in verifying and geolocating user-generated content of the victims.

A number of these incidents may be linked to military use of school buildings, though Myanmar Witness cannot fully verify these claims. Regardless, these actions impact educational facilities, reducing access to learning materials and resources for students. Myanmar Witness recommends that international lawyers investigate these events to determine the status of these school buildings as protected sites under international law.

This report presents the available data on incidents affecting schools in Myanmar, highlights the frequency of such events in the context of the ongoing conflict, and seeks to hold those responsible to account. Myanmar Witness also compiled case studies that provide an insight into the trends uncovered during this investigation. Myanmar Witness says it will continue to monitor and report on incidents that impact on educational infrastructure in the country.

The UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) echoes the main theme of the Myanmar Witness report.

An FCDO spokesperson said: “The data is clear: schools are being destroyed, civilians seriously hurt and educational opportunities further suppressed in Myanmar.

“Schools are meant to be a place of safety and opportunity, not collateral in a conflict. ASEAN is critical to finding a path to peace in Myanmar. We again reiterate our call to all parties, particularly the Myanmar military, to refrain from airstrikes, safeguard civilians, and protect civilian infrastructure.”

The UK says it is committed to holding those responsible in Myanmar to account and has provided £3.5m to Myanmar Witness since 2021.

The UK has also provided £800,000 to the Independent Investigative Mechanism on Myanmar (IIMM) to ensure justice for victims of serious international crimes in Myanmar and hold the perpetrators to account.

The UK has helped support over 270,000 children access education, including 135,000 female students between June 2023 – November 2024.

Mizzima News

Spring Revolution

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Human Rights Violations took place in States and Regions from Sep 15 to 21, 2024 Military Junta Troop launched airstrikes and dropped bombs in Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region, Shan State, Chin State, Rakhine State, and Kachin State from September 15th to 21st. The Military Junta committed arresting, occupying the properties, threatening by using power, and […]
Human Rights Situation weekly update (September 8 to 14, 2024)September 20, 2024 - 2:30 pm
Human Rights Violations took place in States and Regions from Sep 8 to 14, 2024 Military Junta Troop launched airstrikes and dropped bombs in the Magway Region, Shan State, Kachin State, and Rakhine State from September 8th to 14th. Military Junta arrested the civilians as human shields from Mindon Township, Magway Region, and Salingyi Township, […]
Human Rights Situation weekly update (September 1 to 7, 2024)September 13, 2024 - 5:08 pm
Human Rights Violations took place in States and Regions from Sep 1 to 7, 2024 Military Junta Troop launched airstrikes and dropped bombs in the Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region, Magway Region, and Shan State from September 1st to 7th. The Military Junta threatened that they would launch airstrikes on the townships which they lost. The […]

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ND Burma

ND-Burma formed in 2004 in order to provide a way for Burma human rights organizations to collaborate on the human rights documentation process. The 13 ND-Burma member organizations seek to collectively use the truth of what communities in Burma have endured to advocate for justice for victims. ND-Burma trains local organizations in human rights documentation; coordinates members’ input into a common database using Martus, a secure open-source software; and engages in joint-advocacy campaigns.

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