Statement on World Press Freedom Day

Myanmar is currently undergoing a period in which the violent military council, led by Min Aung Hlaing, is attempting to unlawfully seize power from the people. In response to these actions, the entire population and revolution forces are uniting in resistance and striving for change.

In this era of transformation and revolution toward a federal democratic future—one that the people of Myanmar collectively aspire to achieve—freedom of expression and press freedom play a crucial role.

The military, in its attempt to conceal the truth and manipulate information, continues to suppress the media by restricting outlets, arbitrarily arresting and torturing journalists, and committing killings on a regular basis.

According to reports, since the military coup on 1 February 2021 until now, 7 journalists have been killed and at least 200 have been unjustly arrested and detained. Of those, 40 journalists remain in unlawful detention to this day. Furthermore, all journalists working inside the country continue to face life-threatening risks and are increasingly pressured to leave the country.

The National Unity Government strongly condemns and rejects all acts by the military council that aim to restrict press freedom—including the arbitrary arrests, torture, killings, threats, and censorship imposed on journalists and media organizations.

On this World Press Freedom Day, we reaffirm our commitment to previously declared positions on press freedom and media policy. We pledge to continue working closely with all revolutionary forces to strengthen the freedom of the press and ensure the people’s right to access accurate information.

National Unity Government

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