Myanmar Reporter Mu Dra Abducted by Rebel Forces Rights Groups Demand Release

September 24, 2025 – Myanmar – 

Border News Agency journalist Mu Dra was forcibly taken from her home in Maungdaw, Rakhine State, on 20 September, in a reported abduction carried out by Myanmar’s Arakan Army (AA), according to statements from the news agency and CPJ. She was taken in the late morning—around 11:00 a.m.—and remains held incommunicado at an intelligence office controlled by the AA.

Mu Dra is known for her reporting on conflict, human rights abuses, and issues affecting vulnerable groups in Rakhine State, including forced recruitment and intercommunal violence. The Border News Agency says she has frequently covered these sensitive topics. The AA, which operates in much of Rakhine, did not respond to CPJ’s requests for clarification.

In response to the abduction, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) demanded that all combatant parties uphold their obligations under international law and immediately free Mu Dra. CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative, Shawn Crispin, underscored that journalists must not be targeted in retaliation for their reporting.

Meanwhile, ARTICLE 19 and other rights groups also put forth public demands for Mu Dra’s release, stressing that abducting a journalist is a serious violation of press freedom and human rights. (Reported in affiliated statements via JURIST)

This incident adds to a troubling pattern in Myanmar, where both state and nonstate actors impose severe restrictions on media freedoms. Rebel groups and military authorities alike have been implicated in targeting journalists, often accusing them of collaboration or espionage—a tactic used to intimidate the press.

The case of Mu Dra signals an urgent test for the international community and local stakeholders: whether they will uphold principles of accountability and protection for reporters working in conflict zones. Her detention without access or transparency highlights continued threats to independent journalism in Myanmar’s volatile political environment.

Reference – 

https://www.jurist.org/news/2025/09/rights-group-urges-release-of-abducted-myanmar-journalist/

Myanmar rebels abduct Border News Agency reporter Mu Dra