Treatment of journalists in Myanmar

Early day motion 663, tabled 17 November 2021 by John McDonnell (Labour). Signed by 20 members.

That this House deplores the sentence of eleven years hard labour given to Frontier Myanmar’s managing editor Danny Fenster by the military junta; notes that Fenster is the first western journalist to be convicted from over a hundred journalists arrested since February’s military coup, and that of the seven journalists convicted, his sentence represents the harshest punishment yet; believes this sentencing sends a dangerous message of the military junta’s absolute disregard for press freedom to suppress critical voices and reports on human rights violations; and calls on the Government to join the International Federation of Journalists and the National Union of Journalists in the UK and Ireland in calling for the authorities in Myanmar to drop the remaining charges and immediately release Fenster along with all other media workers detained since 1 February 2021.

Signatures by party: Labour 6, Independent 3, Plaid Cymru 3, Scottish National Party 3, Conservative 1, DUP 1, Green 1, Labour/Co-operative 1, Liberal Democrat 1.