Dawei Watch editor Kyaw San Min said, "The sentences imposed on the two journalists are quite severe. Sentencing the journalists with such large penalties is very unjust." The news outlet denounced the arrests as illegal and demanded immediate release of the journalists.
The crackdown on press freedom in Myanmar has been severe since the coup. At least seven journalists have been killed in custody, with reports of torture. A minimum of 172 journalists have been arrested, with 40-50 still detained. At least 15 media outlets have had their licenses revoked.
According to Reporters Without Borders, Myanmar ranks 171st out of 180 countries in press freedom and has the second-highest number of imprisoned journalists globally, after China.
