The Committee to Protect Journalists on Friday called for the Myanmar government to investigate the killing of journalist Myat Thu Tan and prosecute the perpetrators. The journalist’s body was reportedly found buried in a bomb shelter in a Rakhine State military camp. His body, bearing signs of torture, was found along with six other political detainees.

Since September 2022, the Myanmar authorities have held Myat Thu Tan in pre-trial detention. At the time of his death, he had not been tried or convicted of any offense. The authorities alleged that he disseminated information containing defamatory matter, which was contrary to Section 505(a) of the Myanmar Penal Code. According to Human Rights Watch, the offense was expanded “to target those speaking critically of the military” after a coup in 2021.

Myat Thu Tan previously reported for the Democratic Voice of Burma, an independent news source advocating for democracy and human rights. According to CPJ, before his arrest, he made critical posts on his personal Facebook page.

“A culture of impunity has taken deep root in Myanmar since the 2021 democracy-suspending coup. The junta must stop killing, and start protecting, journalists,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative.

Since the military took power, the ruling junta has imposed a state of emergency and enforced compulsory military service to stifle opposition. This prompted allegations of human rights violations and sanctions from Western countries, such as the UK and Australia.