Informing that three journalists of the turmoil hit neighbouring country, Myanmar, are taking shelter in Manipur’s Moreh town, All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) on Thursday urged the Manipur government to give them “safe passage”.
AMWJU said it is extremely concerned with the unfortunate developments in the neighbouring country Myanmar where journalists are also persecuted by the military junta in its crackdown on anti-juntas.
“As a journalist body, we are especially alarmed by the fate of the media and media persons in that country,” AMWJU president Bijoy Kakchingtabam said in a statement. He added that amidst the prevailing turmoil situation, AMWJU has come to learn that three Mizzima journalists who have fled their country are now taking shelter in Moreh town of Manipur.
“We therefore appeal to the government of Manipur to give them the respect that journalists are accorded anywhere in the world, and to give them safe passage to come to Imphal so that they can proceed to New Delhi the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, New Delhi, where they can seek official refugee status under the international convention on refugees,” he stated.
The Mizzima is an Independent media organisation based in Myanmar.
“Mizzima is India friendly”, the AMWJU president said while recalling an agreement which Mizzima signed with the Prasar Bharati for content sharing in 2018.
After the February military coup in Myanmar, the military has taken away the license of Mizzima, arrested several of its journalists, raided the Mizzima office in Yangon, Myanmar and even froze their bank account in Yangon.
But, several Mizzima journalists are still reporting despite the dangers but of those who fled, three have fled taken shelter in Moreh, Manipur.
NNN