Myanmar Photojournalist Myat Thu Kyaw Seriously Injured in Alleged Prison Assault

January 29, 2026 – Myanmar –

Veteran Myanmar photojournalist Myat Thu Kyaw has been seriously injured following an alleged assault inside Yangon’s notorious Insein Prison, according to press freedom advocates and human rights groups. Kyaw, who has been incarcerated since January 13, 2023, remains behind bars under an extended 8½-year sentence, and his ordeal highlights the ongoing repression of journalists under Myanmar’s military rule.

Reports from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and supporting accounts detail that prison authorities allegedly orchestrated the assault on Kyaw and three other political prisoners by using members of a Taiwanese drug syndicate incarcerated at Insein. The attack reportedly left Kyaw with serious injuries to his eyes, face, and arms, and he was temporarily admitted to a prison hospital for treatment.

Kyaw, a freelance contributor to AAMIJ News, was initially arrested while covering protests against the junta in Yangon, and later convicted on charges including criminal incitement and terrorism under Myanmar’s broad security laws. He received an initial sentence for incitement in 2023 and an additional five-and-a-half-year sentence under the Counter-Terrorism Law in January 2025, bringing his total imprisonment to eight-and-a-half years. He also faces possible further charges under the Official Secrets Act, which could extend his sentence even more.

The CPJ strongly condemned the alleged abuse, calling it “another appalling example of the grotesque conditions imprisoned journalists face in Myanmar,” and urged authorities to ensure Kyaw’s safety, to end all forms of abuse in detention, and to release him along with all journalists jailed for their work on humanitarian grounds.

Kyaw’s case fits within a broader pattern of systematic targeting of media workers since the military seized power in Myanmar in February 2021. Journalists who report critically on the junta or cover public dissent have been arrested, charged under vague security or incitement laws, and detained in harsh conditions, with Myanmar consistently ranking among the world’s worst jailers of journalists.

Press freedom organisations have repeatedly raised concerns that such prosecutions and reported abuse tactics serve to intimidate independent media and suppress coverage of political opposition and human rights issues. Advocates argue that the continued detention and maltreatment of journalists like Kyaw not only violate basic rights but also undermine access to independent information in one of Southeast Asia’s most repressive environments.

Reference –

https://www.journalismpakistan.com/myanmar-photojournalist-reportedly-assaulted-in-prison

Myanmar journalist Myat Thu Kyaw seriously injured in alleged prison assault

Myanmar journalist Myat Thu Kyaw seriously injured in alleged prison assault