Dear Friends,

On 19 October, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) launched the Myanmar Press Freedom Project in Chiang Mai, in northwestern Thailand. Developed in partnership with the organisation Exile Hub, this project will provide Myanmar’s journalists – both those who have had to flee the country and those still operating there –  with equipment, digital security tools and capacity-building training.

This project reflects RSF’s renewed commitment to support journalists in danger, by staying as close as possible to journalism’s front lines. It will offer vital assistance to the journalists who continue to cover the situation in Myanmar despite the military junta’s unrelenting persecution. Supporting these media professionals is more essential than ever. Without them, Myanmar could become a news and information black hole.

Myanmar’s military has been cracking down relentlessly on the media ever since staging a coup on 1 February 2021. Seven journalists and press freedom defenders have been executed, at least 150 have been jailed, and at least 64 are still detained. This crackdown has forced many media and journalists into exile. At least 60 media outlets and several hundred journalists are now working from locations abroad, mainly in Thailand.

The 64 journalists detained in Myanmar make it the world’s second biggest prison for journalists, second only to China. It is ranked 171st out of 180 countries and territories in RSF's 2024 World Press Freedom Index.

It is thanks to your generosity that RSF is able to carry out this kind of project to assist journalists in the field. Every donation helps. Thank you for your support.