Myanmar’s Military Coup
Commissioned by an international newswire
“These were historically important pictures of the early days of the coup in Myanmar, which took a lot of courage to acquire. There was a strong sense of the humanity in the footage and great texture in the entry, and the filmmaker took huge personal risks to report on what was happening in Myanmar.”
-News Award Jury
Myanmar’s military seized power on 1st February this year, ousting the civilian government and arresting its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. More than 1000 people have since been killed and thousands of others arrested during the suppression of mass protests against junta rule.
This footage, shot by an anonymous Burmese journalist and filmmaker for an international newswire, covers the dramatic early days of the coup in the capital Naypyidaw. It begins with soldiers on the streets of the city and ends with the funeral of Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, a 19-year-old woman who became a national symbol of opposition to the junta after she was shot dead at a protest.
Biography
The anonymous Burmese filmmaker and journalist who shot this footage began his career in 2009 and became a freelancer two years ago, working on stories for an international newswire and local media outlets.