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Two reporters and an office administrator from Dawei Watch are taken from their homes in southern Myanmar and into junta custody for unknown reasons

By Myanmar Now

Two reporters and an office administrator from Dawei Watch were arrested from their homes on Tuesday night, according to an editor from the news organisation.

The reporters were identified as Moe Myint and Ko Zaw, and the office staff member as Thar Gyi.

“The office has been closed for a while. They were taken from their homes by people in cars. We’re still trying to find out where they are being held,” the editor of the Dawei-based news outlet said.

A Dawei local said that Moe Myint was taken from her house in Ta Laing Khin ward at around 11:30pm, and Ko Zaw was arrested hours later from his home in Wea Kyun ward at around 2am. Thar Gyi was reportedly arrested alongside Ko Zaw.

“Moe Myint was talking on the phone upstairs. A car on patrol stopped in front of her house and searched it and followed her upstairs,” the local man said, citing a resident of Ta Laing Khin ward.

“Another car arrived at her house shortly after. She came out of the house and was taken into the vehicle,” he added.

Dawei Watch’s editor requested that the military immediately release the news outlet’s employees.

“We’re journalists and we’re just doing our jobs. We weren’t breaking any laws. We’re just ethically reporting the news—that is our job,” he said.

Ko Zaw (left) and Moe Myint (right) (Supplied)  

On the day of the journalists’ arrest, Dawei Watch had reported that more than 60 people had been killed and 900 arrested in Tanintharyi since the February 1 coup last year, and described the difficult conditions facing inmates in Dawei Prison.

Several newspapers and journals had a republishing agreement with Dawei Watch to share their news on southern Myanmar.

Around 50 journalists remain in junta detention nationwide. Military council spokesperson Zaw Min Tun has denied that reporters have been jailed in Myanmar, claiming that “only those who break the laws” have been arrested.

Original Post: Myanmar Now