Coverage of the conflict in Myanmar’s civil war from the ever-changing front lines | Press Freedom Update

Every day, Mai Rupa ventures through Shan State in eastern Myanmar, his own land, to document the reality of war. As a video journalist associated with the online news outlet Shwe Phee Myay, he investigates and reports on the situation, from battle frontlines to the plight of local civilians amidst conflict. His work is fraught with peril, as roads are littered with landmines, and there have been instances where he has sought shelter from aerial bombing and artillery fire. “I’ve witnessed countless people getting injured and civilians losing their lives before my eyes,” Mai Rupa has stated. The emotional toll of these experiences has been heavy, often leading to serious mental distress. He is among a handful of brave journalists still delivering firsthand accounts from Myanmar, a country where a military coup in 2021 shattered democratic aspirations and crushed media freedoms. Out of fear, he prefers to use a pen name. While many journalists fled after the coup and ensuing civil war, those at Shwe Phee Myay—a Burmese-language outlet with deep roots in the ethnic Ta’ang community—persist in on-the-ground reporting, covering a region where several ethnic armed groups have long-standing conflicts with the military. The challenges they face are immense, including the risk of arrest and even death, as the junta views media and journalists as criminals, deliberately silencing the dissemination of information. With constraints tightening and aid from USAID diminished under political changes from the U.S., the path seems increasingly difficult. Yet their resolve remains strong: “If we stop, who will continue addressing these issues?”

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/10/reporting-from-behind-shifting-front-lines-in-myanmars-civil-war?traffic_source=rss