Editors secure release of cadet held over Magway flood photos

Friday, 17 September 2010 21:58 Khaing Suu

New Delhi (Mizzima) – A cadet reporter for the Weekly Eleven Journal was released on Friday morning after two days’ detention for refusing to sign a pledge that he would stop taking photos of flood damage in Magway Division, central Burma.

Aung Thu Nyein, 28, held at the Magway Township chief’s office in the compound of Magway Police Station No. 1 since Wednesday, was released at 10 a.m. today, the journal’s website reported.

“Our intern has been released as the result of negotiations. He did not need to sign any pledge,” the website quoted the journal’s managing editor, Wai Phyo, as saying. The editor was referring to a statement officials told Aung Thu Nyein to sign swearing that he would refrain from taking any more photos of flood damage, as he had been doing on Monday when arrested.

The cadet had returned to his Magway home immediately after release but details of his condition remained unknown apart from what was already available on the journal’s website, Wai Phyo told Mizzima.

Police had detained the intern for Weekly Eleven while he was taking photos of fallen trees and the flooding that had hit Magway on Monday evening. The officers seized his camera, deleted its photos and told him to report to the township chief’s office in the compound of Magway Police Station No. 1 the following day.

Officials then attempted to force him to sign the pledge but he refused and was subsequently detained.

After that, the Eleven Media Group sent two senior editors to Magway to conduct negotiations in the case, Wai Phyo told Mizzima yesterday.