Ma Mon Mon Pan (right) and Ah Kyaw (left), reporters with the Burmese-language Myitkyina Journal newspaper.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has condemned the harassment, detention, and assault of two journalists in Myanmar on February 26 and called on the country's authorities to thoroughly investigate the case and hold those responsible to account, according to the organisation’s website.

Ma Mon Mon Pan and Ah Kyaw, reporters with the Burmese-language Myitkyina Journal newspaper, were allegedly detained and assaulted by representatives of the Tha Khin Sit Mining Company at the company's Waingmaw township compound in Kachin state, according to local news reports and Brang Mai, the chief executive officer of the Myitkyina Journal, who communicated with CPJ by email.

"We strongly condemn the attack on Myanmar reporters Ma Mon Mon Pan and Ah Kyaw," said Shawn Crispin, CPJ's senior Southeast Asia representative. "A private company detaining and harassing reporters over their coverage is totally unacceptable. Authorities should identify and prosecute those responsible for this egregious assault."

CPJ called Tha Khin Sit Mining for comment but was not put through to a company representative.

Brang Mai told CPJ that his publication plans to pursue legal action against the company, though he did not specify under which law. Local news reports said that the two journalists had filed a complaint against the mining company for illegally detaining them.