The military junta in the country has continued its crackdown on foreign media institutions following an initial suspension of the BBC and the Voice of America over their coverage of a Human Rights Watch reports about an alleged massacre by the army. The latest media to be suspended include Deutsche Welle, TV5 Monde, Le Monde, and The Guardian.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the bans, saying they represent a further decline in press freedom. “We urge them to rescind these decisions and to immediately lift the blocking of access to the websites of all the targeted media, to allow the public to access pluralistic news reporting.” RSF’s Sub-Saharan Africa Bureau Director Sadibou Marong said.
A total of 13 international media institutions are now banned in the West African nation, with access to nine news outlets suspended in the space of 48 hours for covering Human Rights Watch report.
