Myanmar Frees Three Journalists Ahead of Elections

Rights Groups Warn Amnesty Is Political, Not a Shift Toward Press Freedom

Myanmar’s junta has released three journalists — Sithu Aung Myint, Htet Htet Khine, and Ko Nyein Chan Wai — as part of a wider political amnesty issued weeks before national elections. While the move offers a brief reprieve, rights groups warn it is a strategic gesture rather than a sign of improving press freedom. All three had been jailed under Section 505-A, a law widely used since the 2021 coup to criminalize independent reporting. They endured harsh prison conditions and lengthy sentences based on charges press-freedom advocates say were politically motivated. Although journalists’ associations welcomed their release, dozens of reporters remain imprisoned under similar accusations, and new election-related laws continue to threaten independent media with severe penalties. Observers caution that the timing suggests the junta is seeking to ease international pressure, not reform its treatment of the press. For Myanmar’s media, the risks to truthful reporting remain unchanged.

To read the full story: https://tjcproject.org/myanmar-frees-two-jailed-journalists-in-mass-amnesty-but-fears-for-press-freedom-persist/