Reports from Myanmar have been coming in about a Polish journalist Robert Bociaga being beaten and arrested by Myanmar's military. Poland's foreign ministry told TVN24 that efforts have been made to contact the detained man as soon as possible and to learn as much as possible about his conditions.
The Southeast Asian nation plunged into crisis after the army ousted Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government in a February 1 coup, declaring a year-long state of emergency that has sparked strikes and protests - including by doctors.
More than 70 protesters have been killed since the coup with some 2,000 people detained, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a monitoring group.
The junta has said it is acting with utmost restraint in handling what it describes as demonstrations by "riotous protesters" whom it accuses of attacking police and harming national security and stability.
"A Polish photojournalist Robert Bociaga, was brutally beaten & detained yesterday by military junta" - Burmese human rights activist Wai Wai Nu tweeted on Friday morning. "His current whereabouts and conditions are unknown" - she added.
Another person to inform about Mr Bociaga's arrest was Michał Lubina from the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, author of numerous publications and books about Burma, including a biography of Aung San Suu Kyi, country's leader forcibly removed from power by the military junta.
Mr Lubina said in a tweet that, according to unofficial reports, Bociaga is said to have been arrested while photographing army officers.
According to the reports, the journalist is said to have been detained on Thursday in the city of Taunggyi, eastern Myanmar.
Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MSZ) told TVN24 on Friday that the reports about the Polish journalist being detained in Myanmar have been confirmed by the Polish consul in Bangkok, in cooperation with the German consul in Myanmar.
In line with the EU protocol, consular assistance for Polish citizens in Myanmar is provided by Germany. Poland does not have an embassy, nor a consulate, in Myanmar, however accredited in this country is an ambassador stationed in neighboring Thailand.
"The consul is trying to establish immediate contact with the detained and to collect information about his health, legal situation, and makes constant effort to help the Polish citizen" - the MSZ informed.
"Robert Bociaga is a traveling photojournalist specializing in International Affairs. He is currently in Myanmar and focuses on economic and social issues around culture change, urbanization, political marginalization, poverty, religion, and destruction of nature. He holds a master's degree in Law" - reads a note on his website.
According to his blog, Mr Bociaga has been writing for a variety of outlets, including CNN and Deutsche Welle.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, tvn24.pl, Reuters