Both American Journalists Held In Myanmar Have Been Released

     There are dozens of human rights and regional stability concerns that have made Myanmar this project's foreign policy focus. One of them and certainly the one that has, unfortunately, been able to garner the most attention in the global media is the detention of two American journalists in Myanmar. I say unfortunately because, as horrific as what these two men faced is, the reason they have been covered more than any other aspect of the coup is because they are American. I say this as an American: it's time for us to step up for the people of Myanmar and for the stability of Southeast Asia as a whole.

     Freedom of the press is the most fundamental of freedoms aside from perhaps the freedom to vote; while the former is so sacred that it is enshrined by the principle of democracy itself and not in any constitutional amendment, the latter is featured alongside speech, religion, assembly, and petition in America's first amendment. Press gives people the information they need to make decisions about their democracy's direction, and Myanmar's coup has sought to crack down on this fundamental right.

     The savages in charge of the military charged two American journalists, Danny Fenster and Nathan Maung, with a slew of offenses related to terrorism, inciting violence, "fake news," sedition, and more for simply reporting the truth of what is happening on the ground. Detained for nearly 100 days between March and June, Maung was released after the charges against him were dropped. He reported being beaten and tortured by authorities.

     Fenster, held in the same notorious Insein Prison and facing more serious charges, likely experienced the same physical abuse and probably more emotional trauma. Held for nearly six months, he was sentenced just days ago to 11 years of hard labor. However, thanks to negotiations between the U.S. Department of State, Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, and the military junta itself, Fenster has finally been released. 

     It appears that international pressure has begun to work. All Western journalists held by Myanmar's military have now been freed, as have 5,600 people arrested (including dozens of journalists). However, high-ranking government officials and prominent activists still remain behind bars, democracy is still gone, the free media is still prevented from operating, the Rohingya people still face genocide, women and LGBTQ people are still oppressed, and COVID and the coup continue to destroy the economy as nearly 1,300 civilians lay dead.

     The next step for the United States needs to be legislation similar to the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998. We need to increase sanctions against Myanmar, make the nation safe to deliver humanitarian aid to avert a societal collapse, fund independent journalism and activism, and more: we need to do whatever it takes to make Myanmar safe for democracy. Today, however, we can celebrate a small step forward.