Myanmar

Journalist violence in Myanmar remains among the world’s gravest, with the country ranked 169th out of 180 in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), in the “very serious” category. Since the 2021 military coup, the junta has waged a brutal crackdown on independent media, making Myanmar the world’s second-largest jailer of journalists after China—47 detained as of late 2025 per RSF, with CPJ reporting around 30 on its December census—often subjected to torture, inhumane conditions, and anti-state charges.

Killings continue amid civil war: RSF and IFJ data indicate journalists face execution risks (seven executed since 2021), targeted attacks by military forces, arbitrary detention, and murder while covering conflict or corruption. In 2025, global tallies (e.g., IFJ’s 128 total killings) include Myanmar cases linked to junta raids and frontline dangers, though specific annual figures remain low compared to Gaza or Mexico due to enforced self-censorship and exile. Hundreds of media outlets were banned, journalists fled abroad, and local reporters endure beatings, abductions, and threats.

Impunity reigns, with no accountability for abuses. The regime’s new State Security and Peace Commission intensified repression ahead of sham elections, criminalizing “prejudicial” coverage. This systematic assault erodes truth-telling in a fractured nation, threatening democracy and human rights reporting.