YANGON: An American citizen is being wrongfully detained in junta-ruled Myanmar, a US embassy spokesperson instructed AFP on Friday.
“We’re conscious of the wrongful detention of a US citizen in Burma,” the spokesperson instructed AFP, utilizing the nation’s former identify.
The US has led Western criticism of the coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s authorities final yr and slapped sanctions on top-ranking members of the junta and military-linked corporations.
A number of foreigners have since been arrested within the junta’s crackdown on dissent.
The spokesperson didn’t give particulars on how lengthy the US citizen had been detained or whether or not they had been charged by junta authorities.
Workers had been “offering all acceptable consular help”, they mentioned.
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden opened the way in which for sanctions towards governments that unjustly imprison Individuals and ordered extra detailed journey warnings after a sequence of high-profile detentions.
The transfer got here after huge media protection of the detention in Russia on drug costs of basketball star Brittney Griner, whose spouse initially mentioned Biden was not doing sufficient.
The US State Division, in its journey advisories for Individuals, now highlights during which nations there’s an elevated danger of unjust detention.
Myanmar has been included within the preliminary group of countries that can bear a “D” mark for detention danger, together with China, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Venezuela.
In an up to date journey advisory, the State Division mentioned it had decided that “a minimum of one US nationwide” was wrongfully detained in Myanmar.
Polish photojournalist Robert Bociaga and Japanese journalist Yuki Kitazumi had been each detained throughout the early protests towards the coup.
US citizen Nathan Maung was arrested in March final yr throughout a police raid on the native media outlet he ran and charged with encouraging dissent towards the army.
He was launched months later.
Fellow journalist and US citizen Danny Fenster was detained in Might 2021 and in November was handed an 11-year sentence for illegal affiliation, incitement towards the army and breaching visa guidelines.
Days later he was pardoned and deported from Myanmar.
“We’re conscious of the wrongful detention of a US citizen in Burma,” the spokesperson instructed AFP, utilizing the nation’s former identify.
The US has led Western criticism of the coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s authorities final yr and slapped sanctions on top-ranking members of the junta and military-linked corporations.
A number of foreigners have since been arrested within the junta’s crackdown on dissent.
The spokesperson didn’t give particulars on how lengthy the US citizen had been detained or whether or not they had been charged by junta authorities.
Workers had been “offering all acceptable consular help”, they mentioned.
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden opened the way in which for sanctions towards governments that unjustly imprison Individuals and ordered extra detailed journey warnings after a sequence of high-profile detentions.
The transfer got here after huge media protection of the detention in Russia on drug costs of basketball star Brittney Griner, whose spouse initially mentioned Biden was not doing sufficient.
The US State Division, in its journey advisories for Individuals, now highlights during which nations there’s an elevated danger of unjust detention.
Myanmar has been included within the preliminary group of countries that can bear a “D” mark for detention danger, together with China, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Venezuela.
In an up to date journey advisory, the State Division mentioned it had decided that “a minimum of one US nationwide” was wrongfully detained in Myanmar.
Polish photojournalist Robert Bociaga and Japanese journalist Yuki Kitazumi had been each detained throughout the early protests towards the coup.
US citizen Nathan Maung was arrested in March final yr throughout a police raid on the native media outlet he ran and charged with encouraging dissent towards the army.
He was launched months later.
Fellow journalist and US citizen Danny Fenster was detained in Might 2021 and in November was handed an 11-year sentence for illegal affiliation, incitement towards the army and breaching visa guidelines.
Days later he was pardoned and deported from Myanmar.