Myanmar’s military junta detained an American journalist on Monday as he was trying to leave the country, the man’s employer said, as the regime steps up a crackdown that has already forced many media workers to flee.
Danny Fenster, the managing editor of Frontier Myanmar magazine, was seized at Yangon International Airport as he tried to board a flight to Kuala Lumpur and was taken to Insein Prison, the company said in a statement late Monday. The prison is notorious for its poor conditions and has been used by Myanmar’s military government to hold scores of political prisoners.
“We do not know why Danny was detained and have not been able to contact him since this morning. We are concerned for his well-being and call for his immediate release,” the statement added.
Fenster, 37, is the fourth foreign journalist detained in Myanmar since the military seized power in a coup in February, deposing the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.
The military government routinely publishes lists of “wanted” journalists, accusing them of affecting “state stability,” and has detained more than 70 journalists in total, according to media watchdogs.
Some 4,000 other people have been detained by the authorities in recent months, according to human rights advocates, as the junta has escalated a crackdown on those resisting the coup.
“We have been in contact with both the State Department and Embassy, along with local officials. While we are encouraged by the communication, we remain very concerned for Danny’s well-being,” Fenster’s brother, Bryan, said in an email to The Washington Post. “Danny is a passionate journalist who cares deeply about the principles and integrity of his vocation.”
Source: Washington Post