On the first anniversary of the coup, a number of organizations, including IFEX, strongly condemn the continued violence against media workers in Myanmar and outline actions that the international community can adopt.
Today, exactly a year ago, the military Junta seized power in Myanmar and violently cracked down on the nationwide peaceful and democratic protests. The crackdown on the independent media and freedom of expression within the country that followed immediately after, has degraded press freedom dramatically. Recently, attacks on the free press have intensified extremely, leading to the murder of 3 independent journalists (one in military detention) and the arrest of another 3 from the ethnic media in January 2022 alone. We call on the international community to demand the military Junta put an end to the escalating violence against journalists, insist on justice for the victims, and provide safe refuge to those journalists whose lives are at risk, both inside and out of the country.
Since the beginning of the coup, the Myanmar military has well understood the power of controlling the flow of information in the country. Centralizing information and censoring independent journalists is a clear tactic of the Myanmar military to seize control of public debate and limit freedom of expression. Since February 1st 2021, the intentional blocking of the internet and social media platforms has been used to deny citizens information. The army also quickly took control of state television and the Ministry of Information. In early May 2021, the military declared all satellite television illegal. The licenses of 9 media houses are revoked and 4 are charged under Section 505 (A).
On top of this censorship, arbitrary arrests, violence and even murder have put free journalists at extreme danger when trying to do their jobs. Local journalists and ethnic media workers have become open and physical targets of the Junta. Many journalists have already been assaulted, shot at and injured while covering national protests, illegally arrested and prosecuted for carrying out their journalistic work – often accused of supporting opposition forces. So far, 136 journalists have been arrested, 49 remain in detention and at least 3 journalists have been killed (source: ASEAN). After the coup the military changed the Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code, and introduced the New Section 505 (A) that prohibits causing fear, spreading false news and agitating crimes against a government employee, all punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment. The Junta is using this law against the media.
Following these large threats, many independent journalists have gone into hiding and move around daily. This makes it next to impossible to operate independently inside Myanmar. A large group of journalists and media houses fled to Thailand and India, the neighboring countries. With the recent battles of Lay Kyaw Kyaw, more than 15 ethnic media organizations were pushed to cross the border into Thailand. The journalists in exile are facing numerous challenges such as the obtainment of work visas, discrimination and ethnofobia that hamper their safety.
Despite all challenges, media organizations and freelance journalists are extremely resilient and haven’t stopped their important work albeit the rising pressure. Critical voices continue their work of daily reporting and voicing criticism. Ethnic media continue their work from KNU-liberated areas. New, innovative and creative solutions are developed to continue working and providing access to information for Burmese citizens.
Nonetheless, the crackdown on the media and the hostile environment affecting the safety of journalists of Myanmar is concerning. It is evident that the Junta sees journalists as their enemy, and we are concerned that they will not hesitate to use more violence in the battle for facts and information. The crackdown on the media comes at a time where the continuation of independent and accurate information is crucial to the conflict situation in Myanmar, to provide people with lifesaving information, offer them facts about the ongoing events, counter misinformation, and record human rights violations. Without facts and access to reliable information, the people of Myanmar will remain unable to decide over their own destiny and fully enjoy human rights.
Our calls to action
The undersigned organizations strongly condemn the continued violence against media workers in Myanmar. We welcome earlier statements of UNESCO and the Media Freedom Coalition condemning the violence and internet shutdowns imposed by the Junta. But more is needed. That is why we call for:
- the international community to continue to condemn and address violations of press freedom in Myanmar and ensure that those responsible will be brought to justice;
- governments from both neighboring countries, as well as the international community, should create a safe haven to the journalists who are stuck in a limbo, by providing them with emergency visas. The dire situation of journalists fleeing Myanmar from life threats, only to find themselves in another unsafe situation where their ‘illegality’ puts them at risk of persecution and eviction by the authorities, shows the urgency of creating safe ways to find refuge through emergency visas;
- the international community to provide long term support to the independent media including smaller ethnic media organizations from remote areas in order to recover, rebuild, and continue their reporting either in Myanmar or in exile. Media development organizations, media outlets, and journalists of Myanmar have shown resilience and continued their important work to bring reliable information to the Burmese population. They need long term support.
