The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Tuesday urged Myanmar’s Arakan Army to release local reporter Mu Dra, who was recently abducted by the rebel forces.

Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative, stressed: “All combatants in Myanmar’s civil war have a responsibility to protect and not target journalists in retaliation for their news reporting.” The Arakran Army’s spokesperson has yet to respond to the CPJ’s request for comment.

Mu Dra, a journalist from the Border News Agency, was abducted on September 20 from her residence by members of the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA), according to a press release by her outlet on September 22. She was subsequently interrogated at the Arakan Army’s Intelligence Office. Mu Dra reports on human rights issues and violence against vulnerable groups in Rakhine State, where the Arakan Army controls the majority of townships. The group, now held responsible for her abduction, is already facing serious allegations of having committed human rights abuses against minorities in the region. In its press release, the Border News Agency appealed “to those who have taken her to return her safely, considering both the deep concerns of her family and humanitarian grounds, as well as with respect to international law.”

Under international humanitarian law, journalists are entitled to protection from attacks in conflict zones. Articles 79 and 51 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions stipulate that journalists must be regarded as civilians and protected against dangers arising from military operations.

In Myanmar, journalists and the free press have increasingly been targeted as part of the ongoing civil war. The CPJ reports that, as of December 2024, 35 journalists were imprisoned, primarily on charges of acts against the State. Myanmar currently ranks 169th on the  Reporters without Borders World Press Freedom Index, reflecting severe conditions for incarcerated journalists and bans on media outlets.

Myanmar’s civil war, which began in 2021, has progressively worsened an already dire situation. The combined effects of the civil war and a series of natural disasters have resulted in a profound humanitarian crisis. A recent earthquake in March 2025 led to an estimate of more than 3,600 casualties and was followed by a series of attacks by the Myanmar military, further increasing the civilian death toll.