Predator

MIN AUNG HLAING

Presidente do Conselho Administrativo do Estado da República da União de Mianmar desde 1o de fevereiro de 2021

Predator desde 2011

Birmânia, 140o/180 no Ranking Mundial da Liberdade de Imprensa 2021

Dear [Name of Candidate],

I am writing to ask you what you plan to do to defend the First Amendment, freedom of the press, and the fundamental rights of journalists to practice their profession freely in what has become an increasingly hostile environment for information and news providers.

The United States, which enshrines press freedom in the First Amendment of its Constitution, is currently witnessing a drastic decline in media freedom. On June 28, one of the most horrific attacks on press freedom in the United States occurred when five employees, including four reporters, were killed at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland. According to the US Press Freedom Tracker, which comprehensively documents press freedom violations in the US committed by national, state, and local authorities as well as private individuals, 33 journalists were arrested, 43 were physically attacked, and 15 seizures of journalists’ equipment occurred in 2017. In one of these incidents, Rep. Greg Gianforte physically assaulted a Guardian journalist the night before his state’s election. While covering the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, journalists were impersonated on social media, impeding their ability to accurately investigate the facts and disseminate information which could be vital to preventing a similar tragedy. This hostility towards the press not only risks compromising the American public’s right to be informed through journalists’ reporting, but can also degrade the public’s trust in the media itself.

This is not a partisan issue; it is a fundamental right that impacts every American no matter their politics. Journalism is at the crux of our democracy, and communities everywhere rely on journalists to provide them with information that is essential to their daily decision-making processes. It was local investigative journalist Curt Guyette who broke the story about Flint, Michigan’s lack of access to clean water in 2014, prompting years of class-action lawsuits, protests, and subsequent federal assistance to the city in order to try to resolve the crisis. Reporters Megan Twohey, Jodi Kantor, and Ronan Farrow publicized sexual assault allegations against influential Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein in 2017, leading to the ubiquitous and powerful #MeToo movement which brought decades of sexual abuse and harassment across multiple industries to light.

Yet freedom of the press in the US is currently in dire need of congressional support. It is our civic duty as one of the world’s leading democracies to uphold principles that support and protect the rights of journalists so that they may hold those in power accountable and ensure an informed and engaged community.

If you are elected, what do you plan to do to protect this utterly essential component of our democracy? What are your plans to protect the public’s right to be informed through a free and independent press?

Sincerely,
[Your name]

Hello, my name is _______ and I am from [city, state].

I’m calling to let you know that [candidate/representative]'s stance on freedom of the press is extremely important in my decision to vote. I feel that this is not a partisan issue, but a fundamental right that impacts every American no matter their politics.

I have become increasingly concerned with the growing climate of hostility for journalists in this country, and I would like for [candidate/representative] to publicly address what they will do to defend press freedom if [he/she] is elected.

Thank you.

Freedom of the press is suffering in the US. @[yourcandidate] if you are elected to serve in Congress, what are your plans to protect journalists and our right to be informed? Will you #DefendPressFreedom?

Democracy depends on a free and independent press and its ability to hold those in power accountable. [@yourcandidate] will you take measures to protect journalism and the First Amendment? Will you #DefendPressFreedom?

In June, four reporters were murdered in an appalling targeted attack on the Capital Gazette and freedom of the press. [@yourcandidate] what will you do to address the growing threat to journalists in this country? #DefendPressFreedom

Press freedom is in steady decline in the US. I want my representative to defend the work of journalists as well as my right to be informed. [@yourcandidate] if you are elected what will you do to protect a free press? #DefendPressFreedom

Journalists play a crucial role in our democracy by keeping us informed and holding those in power accountable. And yet in the US, attacks on journalists are becoming more common, undermining the media's role and creating opportunities for government overreach, the erosion of press freedom, and impeding our right to be informed. I’m contacting my candidates and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. Join me at DefendPressFreedom.com

A free press is essential to our democracy. Communities everywhere rely on journalists to report on our government’s actions and hold public figures accountable, providing us with the information we need to make decisions every day. And yet physical, verbal, and online attacks against journalists in the US are increasing at an astonishing rate. I’m contacting my candidates and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. You should too. Read more at DefendPressFreedom.com

Press freedom is declining in the US at an alarming rate. Physical, verbal, and online attacks against journalists have increased drastically in the last two years. As the US midterm elections approach, we must remind our congressional candidates that journalists play a crucial role in our democracy by keeping us informed and holding those in power accountable. I’m contacting my representatives and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. Join in and help me spread the word at DefendPressFreedom.com

MODO DE PREDAÇÃO: terror

Por dez anos, ele roeu as unhas. Em 2011, quando o general Min Aung Hlaing se tornou comandante em chefe das forças armadas da Birmânia, a junta que governou o país com punho de ferro por quase meio século se dissolveu, permitindo o florescimento de uma imprensa livre e vibrante. Mas o general nunca deixou de manter um olhar inquisidor sobre a mídia, combinando censura e desinformação. Min Aung Hlaing desempenhou um papel verdadeiramente central na disseminação de informações falsas e discursos de ódio antes do genocídio das populações rohingya em 2017. Ativando suas redes dentro da polícia e nos tribunais, o comandante manobra para censurar qualquer tipo de informação independente sobre o assunto. Na verdade, dado o controle que o General Min mantém na esfera política e midiática, o golpe que liderou em 1o de fevereiro de 2021 não chega a surpreender. Da noite para o dia, com o retorno dos militares ao poder, a Birmânia se viu na mesma situação que esteve sob a junta anterior - quando reinava, para os meios de comunicação, o regime de pré-censura, e quando os repórteres eram presos em massa em vans, depois torturados e trancados em jaulas de cachorro. Assim, desde o início de 2021, o regime do general Min vem se afundando em uma espiral de repressão da imprensa livre, com todos os meios de comunicação independentes fechados, dezenas de jornalistas presos e um controle absolutamente drástico de todas as informações. O retorno do terror.

ALVOS PREFERIDOS: as testemunhas do horror

Quando era apenas o comandante das forças armadas, Min Aung Hlaing havia demonstrado seu forte incômodo com a imprensa livre. O caso mais emblemático foi o de dois jornalistas da Reuters, Wa Lone e Kyaw Soe Oo, que haviam conseguido investigar o massacre de civis rohingya em 2017. Eles pagaram um preço alto: vítimas de um esquema político-judicial, foram condenados a sete anos de prisão por simplesmente tentarem fazer seu trabalho. Esta decisão, tomada por um único homem, o general Min, apesar de todas as condenações internacionais, teve um efeito devastador sobre toda a profissão - que compreendeu quanto custaria tratar dos assuntos considerados proibidos por Min Aung Hlaing. Mesmo assim, depois do golpe de 2021, os repórteres agiram como heróis ao cobrir protestos hostis à junta militar por semanas. Presos e torturados, foram infelizmente as primeiras vítimas de seu temível aparato repressivo.

DISCURSO OFICIAL: negação

"Os meios de comunicação (...) desempenham um papel crucial no fortalecimento da liberdade de expressão para a democracia [e] na melhoria da transparência do governo por meio da distribuição de conhecimento para o povo" (Declaração de 3 de maio de 2021, duas semanas depois que todos os meios de comunicação não controlados pelo governo de Min Aung Hlaing foram forçados a fechar).

Publié le 05.07.2021