U.S. Journalist From Detroit Detained In Myanmar: Report

Detroit MI

24 May, 2021

3:42 PM

Description

DETROIT — A 37-year-old reporter originally from Detroit has been detained in Myanmar, his family told CNN. Danny Fenster, a U.S. citizen originally from Detroit but who lives in Myanmar's largest city of Yangon, was stopped at the Yangon airport while trying to board a flight out of the country, CNN reported. Fenster works as the managing editor for the news site Frontier Myanmar, according to CNN. Fenster was transferred to Insein Prison, which is known for its deplorable conditions, CNN reported. The U.S. Department of State said in a statement to CNN that it is aware of the situation, but would not comment citing privacy concerns. "We take seriously our responsibility to assist U.S. citizens abroad, and are monitoring the situation," the statement to CNN said. News outlets were taken off the air following a military coup on Feb. 1, according to BBC. A year-long state of emergency has since been put in place. The military coup demanded a rerun of an election won by civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, which it claimed included widespread fraud, despite an election commission submitting there was no evidence of such.