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Photographer dies in custody in first journalist death since Myanmar coup

December 14, 2021/in News

Soe Naing was arrested while shooting a silent protest in Yangon. Photos of Soe Naing shared by his colleagues and social media show the spectrum people live in Myanmar from everyday moment to lives under the military regime. A freelance photographer arrested by junta troops on Human Rights Day has become the first journalist to […]

The Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma Calls for Accountability for Human Rights Violations Committed in Myanmar by the Military Junta in New Briefing Paper: “Waking to War Crimes”

December 14, 2021/in Press Releases and Statements

The Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma Calls for Accountability for Human Rights Violations Committed in Myanmar by the Military Junta in New Briefing Paper: “Waking to War Crimes” 14 December 2021 For Immediate Release The Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma (ND-Burma) strongly condemns the scaled up, ongoing military operations deployed […]

Photographer dies in custody in first journalist death since Myanmar coup

December 14, 2021/in News

The Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma Calls for Accountability for Human Rights Violations Committed in Myanmar by the Military Junta in New Briefing Paper: “Waking to War Crimes”

December 14, 2021/in Press Releases and Statements

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Photographer dies in custody in first journalist death since Myanmar coup

December 14, 2021/in News

Soe Naing was arrested while shooting a silent protest in Yangon.

Photos of Soe Naing shared by his colleagues and social media show the spectrum people live in Myanmar from everyday moment to lives under the military regime.

A freelance photographer arrested by junta troops on Human Rights Day has become the first journalist to die while in detention since the military seized power in Myanmar more than 10 months ago.

Soe Naing was detained on Dec. 10 while documenting a nationwide “Silent Strike” boycott against junta rule to mark the United Nations day to honor human rights in Yangon’s Latha district.

News of Soe Naing’s death surfaced on social media Tuesday and was confirmed by family members, according to sources who were close to the photographer.

Photo of Soe Naing shared by his colleague.

“Just this morning, Ko Soe Naing’s cousin confirmed his death to his best friend. … His friend also contacted Soe Naing’s wife. She also confirmed his death,” a family friend told RFA’s Myanmar Service on condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal.

“His friend is not in a position to talk to the media, so I am talking on his behalf. Soe Naing’s funeral was held in the Mingalardon area.”

One of Soe Naing’s colleagues also said he had received confirmation of his death, and suggested without elaborating that the photographer was killed during an interrogation by security forces.

“We didn’t believe at first because there is no reason for them to beat a photojournalist to death,” said the colleague, who declined to be named.

“However, around 4:00 p.m., someone from our internal network updated us that a family member had confirmed his death.”

The colleague said that an hour later, word spread that Soe Naing’s body had already been cremated by the authorities.

“No one got a chance to see the body or be present at his cremation,” he said. “Now, Ko Soe Naing is gone without a trace.”

Attempts by RFA to reach Soe Naing’s relatives went unanswered on Tuesday, as family members had turned off their phones for safety reasons, sources said.

Seasoned photographer

According to the colleague, Soe Naing was a seasoned photographer who had covered many events and protests since the military removed Myanmar’s democratically elected National League for Democracy government in a Feb. 1 coup.

In the weeks and months since the coup, security personnel have committed human rights abuses including arbitrary arrests, rape and killings. More than 8,000 civilians have been arrested and 1,339 killed by junta authorities since February, according to the Bangkok-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, mostly during non-violent protests of the coup.

“Even when the military started suppressing the protesters and the protests turned into guerilla-like flash mobs, he still covered these events,” Soe Naing’s colleague told RFA.

“He was calm and focused on his work. He was never involved in these protests. He only focused on covering the events. There is no reason for him to be killed. I can’t understand why they killed him.”

‘Escalation in terror’

Soe Naing’s death was addressed in a statement by Paris-based journalist watchdog group Reporters Without Borders, which called on the international community to condemn what it called an “escalation in terror against reporters” and to implement sanctions against the junta leadership.

“With Soe Naing’s death, a new tragic threshold has been crossed this morning in the terror that Myanmar’s military are using against journalists,” said Daniel Bastard, the head of the group’s Asia-Pacific desk.

“His death must serve as an alarm signal and push the international community to impose new targeted sanctions on the military junta that has been running the country since February, starting with its chief, Gen. Min Aung Hlaing. The world can no longer look on without doing something.”

Reporters Without Borders noted that at least three other journalists had been arrested by authorities in recent days, including freelance photographer Zaw Tun on Dec. 10, and Democratic Voice of Burma reporter Aung San Lin and regional reporter Min Theik Tun on Dec. 12.

Junta spokesman Gen. Zaw Min Tun did not respond to requests by RFA for comment on the arrests.

At least 57 journalists are currently imprisoned in Myanmar, according to Reporters Without Borders. The group ranked Myanmar 140^th out of 180 countries in its World Press Freedom Index, published in early 2021.

Reported by Tin Aung Khine and Khet Mar for RFA’s Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

RFA News

The Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma Calls for Accountability for Human Rights Violations Committed in Myanmar by the Military Junta in New Briefing Paper: “Waking to War Crimes”

December 14, 2021/in Press Releases and Statements

The Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma Calls for Accountability for Human Rights Violations Committed in Myanmar by the Military Junta in New Briefing Paper: “Waking to War Crimes”

14 December 2021

For Immediate Release

The Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma (ND-Burma) strongly condemns the scaled up, ongoing military operations deployed by the junta in Myanmar which has displaced thousands in the last ten months. A new briefing paper by ND-Burma “Waking to War Crimes,” acknowledges the systematic and widespread deployment of atrocities against innocent civilians since February, and further calls for an immediate cessation of violence.

ND-Burma has documented war crimes and crimes against humanity through desk research, interviews and member organization data in Chin State, Kayah (Karenni) State and Sagaing region. On average, between 35 and 43 cases of human rights violations were collected per the respective state/region between August and October. The human rights violations being perpetrated by the junta are considered to be grave breaches of the Geneva Convention and amount to war crimes.

Against the backdrop of intensified clashes, civilians in conflict-torn areas are trapped. Humanitarian aid has been blocked and the junta continues to lawlessly steal what little possessions villagers have. Every day, people are being abducted, killed and extorted amid ongoing corruption and disorder fueled by the regime. The international community must take steps to actively end the uncontrolled criminality of the Myanmar junta to protect those on the ground. An arms embargo must be initiated, alongside targeted sanctions and referral of the military junta to the International Criminal Court.

Such courses of action are long overdue but it is not too late.

For more information:
NDBoffice@protonmail.com

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ND-Burma is a network that consists of 13-member organisations who represent a range of ethnic nationalities, women and former political prisoners. ND-Burma member organisations have been documenting human rights abuses and fighting for justice for victims since 2004. The network consists of nine Full Members and four Affiliate Members as follows:

Full Members

Affiliate Members:

Chin Human Rights Organization
East Bago – Former Political Prisoners Network
Pa-O Youth Organization
Progressive Voice

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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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