War reporter in Myanmar: Courage and danger on the front line

War reporter in Myanmar: Courage and danger on the front line

Shan State, Myanmar - Mai Rupa, a video journalist from the Shan State in Myanmar, documents the devastating effects of the war for the online news portal Shwe Phee Myay. Since the military coup in February 2021, reporting in the country has suffered greatly, and Mai Rupa is constantly moving to remote areas to collect news about combating and the situation of the civilian population. Dangers such as landmines, air strikes and artillery shot make his work life threatening. The reunion with injured and killed civilians has left him in profound emotional stress.

The situation for independent journalists in Myanmar is critical. After the coup, many reporters left the country, and only a few, like that of Shwe Phee Myay, continue to report from Myanmar. The editorial team, which was founded in 2019, has committed to reporting on the Ta’ang ethny and the conflict with armed groups. While most journalists have fled to neighboring countries such as Thailand and India, Shwe's employees have decided to stay on site to work on local topics.

The risks for journalists

The challenges for journalists have increased. According to cpj.org , the militarization of media landscape is increasingly shaping the image. Myanmar is now one of the worst prisons for journalists worldwide, since Junta criminals independent reporting, arrest journalists and closes news editorial offices. On July 1, 2021, at least 32 journalists were already imprisoned, which reflects the overwhelming reality of freedom of the press.

In addition, according to the Reporting the IPCM since the military coup, the third meshest country regarding the imprisonment of journalists who have been in 43 are in custody of the last reports. Many suffer from this from severe conditions of detention. The IPCM reports of at least seven journalists who died due to abuse or fatal consequences of their detention.

The consequences of the coup

Repression towards the media has also led to many local media companies to hire their business or to fight for survival. For example, Shwe Phee Myay has reduced his field reporting and training programs due to cuts in the USAIS financing. Nevertheless, the channel has over a million followers on Facebook and remains an essential source of information since the coup.

Already in September 2021, an employee of the Shwe Phee Myay, Lway M Phuong, was arrested for alleged incitement and spent almost two years in prison. The office in Lashio was also attacked in May 2021, which illustrates the persistent risks for the editorial team.

Future of journalism in Myanmar

The US government has reduced its help to promote independent media, which has led to layoffs and restricted reporting. May Rukaw, editor -in -chief of Shwe Phee Myay, expressed concern about the future of the medium, but at the same time emphasized the need to continue the work despite the intersecting situation.

With geopolitics and military conflicts in Myanmar, reporting on conflicts, including the latest major attack by ethnic armed groups, is of crucial importance, since this conflict has already been sold over 500,000 people. This shows that despite drastic challenges, the commitment to free information remains essential.