Asia Pacific Report
Pacific Media Watch -
May 8, 2021
May 8, 2021
Molotov, one of the emerging new media outlets in Myanmar. Image: Phil Thornton/IFJ
ANALYSIS: By Phil Thornton
As chaos flows in Burma, journalists are being forced to hide in plain sight by the Burmese military, writes senior journalist and Myanmar expert Phil Thornton.
Journalists in Myanmar are being hunted and arrested by the country’s military for trying to do their job. Independent media outlets have been raided, licences revoked and offices closed.
To avoid arrest, independent journalists have gone into deep hiding, taken refuge in ethnic controlled regions or fled to neighboring countries. The military and its paid informers trawl through neighborhoods, coffee shops and scan social media for evidence to justify arresting journalists.
