With the military junta seizing power in 2021 in Myanmar, situations in the country are kept largely concealed from the outside world. However, a former journalist named Maung Maung shed light on the dire circumstances for people living under the junta’s dictatorial control.

Recounting his perilous journey to escape the clutches of the regime following Aung San Suu Kyi’s ousting, he shared the unbearable brutality he faced from the Myanmar military, including his own brother’s horrific ordeal.

According to a report published in The Independent, the Yangon-based former journalist described the dramatic shift following the military coup on February 1, 2021.

“As a journalist in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, my life was irrevocably altered on February 1, 2021. The military seized control, plunging the nation into chaos. Millions demonstrated against the coup, but their defiance was met with brutal force. The army’s crackdown was ruthless: thousands were killed or imprisoned, a nationwide curfew was imposed, and homes were ransacked, with any deemed ‘suspicious’ detained,” News 18 quoted The Independent where Maung shared his ordeal.

“Social media, a lifeline to the outside world, was silenced. Torture during interrogation became a chilling reality, claiming countless lives. Faced with such terror, many fled, seeking refuge in neighbouring Thailand,” he added.

The former journalist also revealed the chilling consequences of even the slightest perceived dissent.

“One of my friends was kept imprisoned for three months. Foreign journalists who had Aung San Suu Kyi’s photo on their mobile phones were sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment. They were tortured for months in a dark jail cell. Many are still imprisoned there,” he said.

“One of my three brothers was arrested for liking a Facebook post. His legs were cut off. Boiling water was poured on the wounds, causing him to lose consciousness. When he regained consciousness the next morning, soldiers dragged him out. They tied him up and made him lie under the scorching sun until he fainted again. When he woke up a second time, he found himself in a truck headed to Insein Prison,” Maung said.

Maung revealed that he paid a huge bribe to a jail officer to get his wife medical treatment. He was released after eight months due to lack of evidence.

“I also quit my job and left Yangon. The first thing I did was erase all the photos, data and emails from my mobile phone and laptop. We bought rice from farmers, filled sacks, hid them in a truck, and fled in the middle of the night. On the way, we bribed soldiers at military checkpoints with whisky and cash to let us go,” he said.