Htun Zaw Win, the award-winning Burmese film director who is professionally known as Wyne, was arrested on Wednesday, nearly a year after he was added to the wanted list for allegedly encouraging government employees to join protests against the military rule in Myanmar.
Wyne, best known for directing the short film Ban that Scene, has won several accolades for his direction and screenplays from the Myanmar Motion Picture Organization. His most successful feature film is Adam, Eve and Datsa (2011). Wyne has worked on several films revolving around political themes such as land-grabbing and censorship.
According to his colleague, also a prominent figure in the entertainment industry, who wanted to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions, Wyne was arrested from his apartment in Yangon. His colleague added that the 48-year-old filmmaker, who had spent the past year on the run, is believed to have gone home to receive medical treatment for a stroke he suffered back in 2019, and from which he had not fully recovered.
Myanmar witnessed a military coup in February 2021, which ousted the Aung San Suu Kyi-led government that had earlier won a landslide victory over the military’s proxy party in November 2020.
The military takeover triggered widespread protests and a civil disobedience movement. Celebrities, including film directors, actors, singers, artists, and models, attended rallies against the military and used social media to extend their support to the movement.
Following this, the information ministry, under military control, blocked Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
By the end of February 2021, the military-ruled government began issuing arrest warrants against the celebrities supporting the movement and charged them with “incitement or spreading news to affect state stability” – an offence punishable by up to three years of imprisonment in Myanmar.
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In 2021, at least 15 celebrities were arrested while more than 100, who had taken part in the protests, were put on the wanted list on state-run media along with their pictures. Half of those arrested were reportedly convicted by special courts inside the Insein Prison in Yangaon.
Besides this, press freedom in the country is severely restricted with many journalists detained and the licenses of several media outlets suspended.
Since the military takeover, 12,059 people have been arrested in the country and 9,056 of them remain detained, as per the independent Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.