Women’s groups in Myanmar are urging the Arakan Army (AA) to immediately release a female journalist detained in Rakhine State. The reporter, Mudra of the Border News Agency, was taken from her home in Maungdaw Township two weeks ago by AA intelligence officers.
In a joint statement, Myanmar Women in Media (MWiM), Burma Women’s Union (BWU), and Sisters 2 Sisters condemned the detention, warning it threatens both the journalist’s safety and press freedom. They emphasized that she was performing standard journalistic duties.
The AA spokesperson stated that Mudra has not been formally arrested but is being questioned for “speech and activities detrimental to public security,” calling it a “military necessity.”
The call for her release has been echoed by press freedom advocates. The Independent Myanmar Journalists Association urged the AA to adhere to international standards protecting journalists, while the Committee to Protect Journalists had previously demanded her release and called for unrestricted reporting access in the region.
The groups highlighted Myanmar’s declining press freedom, noting the country ranks 169 out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index.
