YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – Myanmar’s governing board has stepped up its campaign against celebrities who support national protests against the seizure of power, publishing wanted lists in the state press and warning against the use of their work.
The move follows weeks of escalating violence by security forces as it halted street protests against the February 1 coup that overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. At least 570 protesters and passers-by, including 47 children, have been killed since the takeover, according to the Association of Assistance to Political Prisoners, which monitors victims and prisons and says the actual number is likely to be higher. The coup reversed the country’s gradual return to democracy after five decades of military rule.
The lists published Sunday and Monday in the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper include actors, musicians and social media influencers accused of violating Section 505 (A) of the Penal Code for “spreading news to affect state stability”. The penalty for the offense is up to three years in prison.
A chart that fills most of a page lists 20 people, along with photos, hometowns and Facebook pages for each.
Several actors and directors were also charged in February, but the campaign against celebrities who supported the protest was intensified last week when army-controlled Myawaddy TV broadcast a wanted list. There are now at least 60 people on those lists.
May Toe Khine, who describes herself on her Twitter profile as “Full-time Burmese actress / part-time fashion student”, tweeted after the TV announcement that her arrest warrant was “simply for doing my job as a civilian: use my platform to speak the truth. “
“Please always pay attention to the news in Myanmar until we win,” she wrote.
What appears to be a leaked document from the Ministry of Information warns broadcasters and production agencies about the charges against people in the fields of literature, cinema, performing arts, music and journalism. He warns them not to publish or transmit any of their work or face lawsuits themselves.
The April 4 document, which could not be authenticated by The Associated Press, was reported by Khit Thit Media and widely circulated on social media.
The protests continued on Monday across the country, but generally on a smaller scale than recently and often in order to avoid clashes. On Sunday, an “Easter Egg Strike” was held with painted eggs in support of the protests shown in public places and online.
In Dawei, a city in southeastern Myanmar that is a stronghold of the protest movement, a short march was accompanied by a procession of motorcycles.
In Yangon, the country’s largest city, a memorial march for the dead was carried out by bereaved people dressed in black. Separately, about 20 people briefly gathered on a city street and burned Chinese flags. Many protesters believe Beijing supports the military regime with economic and political support, including the threat of a veto by the UN Security Council against international sanctions.