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Taunggyi (dpa) - A Polish journalist arrested in Myanmar who works for the German press agency in Myanmar is free again after almost two weeks.
On Thursday, Robert Bociaga took off from the airport in the largest city of Yangon (formerly Rangoon) in the direction of Poland, where he was supposed to land on Friday after several stopovers.
The 30-year-old was arrested by soldiers on March 11th in Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State in the center of former Burma.
At the time, Bociaga had reported from the region about the protests against the new junta after the military coup in early February.
In Taunggyi, according to reports from the news portal Myanmar Now, on Thursday the emergency services used brutal violence against the population.
There was talk of “terrible pictures” in a tweet.
At least four people are said to have been killed and several others injured.
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About the release of Bociaga, dpa editor-in-chief Sven Gösmann said: "We are very relieved that Robert Bociaga will soon be free with his family".
At the same time, he warned that the situation for journalists in Myanmar and for the entire population remains very dangerous.
«We appeal to the transitional government to respect freedom of the press and human rights.
The world and dpa will continue to look closely at what is happening in Myanmar, ”said Gösmann.
The case also caused a stir internationally.
Among other things, Reporters Without Borders had called for the immediate release of Bociaga and all other media workers arrested in Myanmar.
The German embassy in Yangon, which represents the consular interests of Polish citizens in Myanmar, had demanded immediate access and information about the reason for his imprisonment.
In the former Burma, since the coup in early February, the military and the police have been cracking down on not only demonstrators, but also politicians, activists and journalists.
According to estimates by the prisoners' aid organization AAPP, more than 2,900 people have been arrested so far.
More than 280 were killed, AAPP tweeted on Thursday.
So far, however, foreigners have been considered relatively safe.
A surprising 600 detainees were released on Wednesday, most of them students.
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On Thursday tens of thousands took to the streets again across the country to demand the release of the arrested Prime Minister Aung San Suu Kyi and the reinstatement of her civilian government.
The emergency services tried again to put down the resistance with tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition.
According to local media reports, there are said to have been several dead and many injured in different parts of Myanmar.
"We have high hopes for our country because the people continue to fight for their dreams, even if these terrorists kill the people," said Lin Lin Thaw from the city of Monywa of the German press agency.
In Mandalay in the north alone, more than 20 people were killed between March 21 and 23, Myanmar Now wrote.
Among the victims is a seven-year-old girl who was sitting on her father's lap when she was hit by a bullet.
The child is the youngest victim of military violence to date.
The shooting of the girl indicates a worrying new level of disregard for human life, said the aid organization "Care".
"Save the Children" estimated that more than 20 children have been killed since the coup, and 17 more are said to be in custody.
The US and UK imposed further sanctions on Thursday targeting the economic resources of the new leadership apparatus.
Affected are two holdings in which current or former military personnel held all shares and through which the armed forces controlled important economic sectors, said the governments in Washington and London.
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The rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, called on the European Union, the USA, China and the Southeast Asian community (ASEAN) to do more.
You should convene an emergency summit and invite the deputies of the overthrown ruling party National League for Democracy (NLD).
The parliamentarians have set up a government in exile.
"The limited sanctions imposed so far do not cut the junta's access to income that helps finance its illegal activities," said the American human rights expert, who teaches at Yale and Harvard universities.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210325-99-970063 / 3
Tweet Myanmar Mix with photo of the arrest
Website Robert Bociaga
Tweet AAPP
Tweet Myanmar Now on the dead in Taunggyi
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Message Save the Children
Tweet Care
Tweet on protests from The Irrawaddy
Tweet Mizzima News on injured people
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