Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. 'I'm a Fugitive Forever' Tommy Walker BANGKOK - Nearly five months since Myanmar's militarytookcontrol of the country,the "Spring Revolution" hassparked nationwide demonstrations and a crackdown that's cost hundreds of lives. But the armed forces haven't limited themselves to smashing protesters. They've gone after journalists reporting on them, too. MrattKyaw Thu, 31,is one who managed to escape.MrattKyaw Thufled toMadrid after months on the run. An open critic of the [1]junta, he is one ofthousandswho are wanted by the armed forces. Nowhefindsthe continued crackdownhard to watch. "I'm feeling so depressed. I've been crying all day, I don't know what to do," he told VOAin a June phone interview. Myanmar's military, the Tatmadaw, hasused the country'spenal code law totargetanyone who interferes with government operations. Thosefoundguilty face years in jail. MrattKyaw Thusaidthat the threat of jail never concerned him. But thefear of beingpicked up andtorturedin detentionwas too much. "It's really common for military to torture overnight and call the family member to take the dead body in the morning," he told VOA. The military has detained thousands since theFebruary 1coup, includingmultiple members of the media. Freed U.S.editor NathanMaungrecentlyspoke of his ordeal-- including being beaten,interrogatedand deprived of food and water --while U.S.journalistDanny Fenster remains inYangon's Insein Prison. MrattKyaw Thudecided to leaveMyanmarafter he saw grotesque images of a National League for Democracy (NLD) politician who had been torturedand killed. "[In] the pictures, the military tortured him, they even poured hot water down his throat'¦his tongue and his eyes come out from his face. That picture shocked me a lot," he said. The freelancer has been a journalist forovera decade.[2]MrattKyaw ThuwonAgency France Press'sKate Webb Award in 2017 for his coverage of the Rohingya genocide. Afterthe military shut down theinternet, heworked to reportfactual informationundistorted by pro-militarygroups. But the junta, officially the State Administrative Council (SAC),quickly denounced his work. "I think February 12 they announced my name as fake news," he said. His name came further to attention of the junta following a March interviewhe conductedwith a general who haddefected andjoined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), a pro-democracy campaign that has seen thousands of workers go on strike. Analtercation during protests in Yangonchilled him. "Two policemen just emerged, appeared in front of me, pointed with their guns [and said],'If you are not a protester just go away, I don't want to shoot you.'This is the moment I was very distraught, very fearful." "They were ready to shoot someone against them. It was a terrible, horrible, experience," he said. In another incident,MrattKyaw Thusaidhe was inside a friend's apartmentwhen"even sound grenades and gunfire hit my wall." He saidhe riskedbeing shotwereheto observe from the balcony. At one point, theMyanmar military's 77th Light Infantry Division (LID)--known for violence during previous uprisings in the country--showed up on the street where he lived.[3]Human Rights Watch accused thedivision offiring at protestersin 2007. MrattKyaw Thueventuallyleft Yangonafterhiding inan"escape area" with rebel ethnic armed groups.On April 5, the military announced an arrest warrant for thethen-on-the-run journalist.MrattKyaw Thuhad been hiding in villages near the borderwhile dodgingnearby airstrikes. "The whole village had to move, had to flee into the forest. They have to leave their houses,and it was a very tragic event for them," he said. MrattKyaw Thuwas able to obtain a visa for Spain. He first tried for asylum in Germany at a stopover in Frankfurt.But he was refused entryunder European Union regulations governing asylum seekers. For 38 days,MrattKyaw Thuwas kept within a Frankfurt Airport detentioncenterwith little to do and no contactwiththe outside world. Because ofCOVID-19restrictions, "I couldn't even talk to people," he said.MrattKyaw Thufinallywas releasedand arrived in Spain on June 1. Althoughsafe,MrattKyaw Thuadmits he's struggling to adapt.And there are regrets. "I can have coffee, go out shopping. At the same time,a lot of people are dying in my country, risking their lives. I'm sitting doing nothing;I feel so guilty," he said. MrattKyaw Thucontinues to fact-check andreport aboutMyanmar's dire situation on his social media accounts. On[4]Facebook, he has a following ofmore than495,000followers combined. He's under no illusions about the prospect of returning. "As long as the dictator, Min Aung Hlaing, isin the chair,in power, I cannotgo back,"MrattKyaw Thusaid. "I'm a fugitive forever." GeneralMin Aung Hlaing has led the Tatmadaw for a decade and is de facto ruler sincedisputing election results in November2020 and jailing members of the government, including StateCounselorAung San Suu Kyi. [5]The general has been sanctionedin recent years by the United States and Britain for abuses of ethnic minorities in Myanmar. References 1. https://rsf.org/en/news/myanmar-junta-now-publishing-lists-wanted-journalists 2. https://www.afp.com/en/agency/press-releases-newsletter/mratt-kyaw-thu-wins-afp-kate-webb-prize 3. https://www.hrw.org/report/2007/12/06/crackdown/repression-2007-popular-protests-burma 4. https://www.facebook.com/mrattschannels 5. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-55892489 .