Amid civil war, RSF Myanmar Press Freedom Project aids over 300 journalists in one year

Since the 2021 coup, the military junta ruling Myanmar has brutally persecutedthe press: seven journalists and press freedom defenders have been executed and over 200 detained, with at least 51 still behind bars, according to RSF data. Now, with the approach of the general elections, press freedom violations are ramping up with constant internet shutdowns and the adoptionof a law further hampering the right to information ahead of the general elections.

To help these endangered news professionals, the Myanmar Press Freedom Project has provided training in investigative journalism, conflict zone safety, digital security, psychological health and other key needs to more than 210 reporters, and distributed pieces of essential equipment - including laptops, phones, solar batteries and charging stations - to over 140 others in the past year A total of 349 journalists in total received aid, and the project continues to grow.

The Myanmar Press Freedom Project is managed from neighbouring Thailand, which harbours over 300 reporters and 60 media exiled from Myanmar, according to RSF data, due to the Myanmar junta's repression of journalism. Initially established in Chiang Mai, the second-largest city in Thailand, the project was expanded to a new location in the border city of Mae Sot in July 2025, in partnership with RSF local partner Docu Athan, an NGO supporting Myanmar creators, including journalists, filmmakers, and artists. This new hub provides Myanmar journalists in exile, including some who often report from inside Myanmar, with increased access to professional-grade cameras, technical support, and training. RSF is also supporting the independent radio Federal FM, which currently broadcasts in eastern Myanmar, to expand its operations with a new transmitter capable of reaching listeners in central Myanmar, where many areas remain under the control of the anti-press junta.

RSF Press Freedom Centres

In major press freedom crises, RSF has established Press Freedom Centresto provide journalists and media outlets with the equipment, assistance and resources necessary to continue their work as safely as possible. In Ukraine, RSF first opened a centre in Lviv shortly after the large-scale Russian invasion to supportUkrainian media. Since December 2024, its activities have been centralised from a second centre in Kyiv, the capital, to better adapt to journalists' needs. RSF also operates a Press Freedom Centre in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, to assistregional journalists affected by the war in Gaza.

Ranked 169th out of 180 countries and territories in the 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index, Myanmar is the world's second-largest jailer of journalists, just behind China.