Fear Of Abduction, Arrest And Need For A Safe House – CFWIJ Speaks To Journalists in Myanmar. This Iis How Their Reality Looks Like Right Now

Amidst the current clashes in Myanmar between the military and protestors, journalists and activists are under severe threats. Given the incredibly tense situation, it is very difficult to get information out of Myanmar, as most journalists and activists find themselves in hiding. The Coalition For Women In Journalism spoke to multiple journalists who fear being targeted and are unable to report it.

Photo Credit: Maung Lonlan — EPA / Shutterstock

On February 1, 2021, the Myanmar military detained Aung San Suu Kyi and other government officials, seizing control of the country. There have since been multiple protests demanding a reversal of this coup d’etat. Police deploy water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets against protesters who refuse to retreat. CFWIJ is in touch with journalists on the ground, receiving several unsettling updates from those deeply worried about their safety. Many journalists we spoke to have reported on the conditions from hideouts, where they fear military abductions, detections, and possible torture. CFWIJ’s Katarzyna Mierzejewska discussed the current situation with one of Myanmar’s female journalists. Due to safety concerns, she prefers to stay anonymous.

Photo Credit: AFP / Shutterstock

Interview by: Katarzyna Mierzejewska

Thank you for agreeing to this conversation. Firstly, I need to ask about your frame of mind. How are you feeling?

A female journalist in Myanmar:

Frankly, I feel very disappointed, stressed, and even depressed. I struggle to think positive or keep my thoughts away from the current situation in Myanmar, even if just for a moment. The military coup itself was a bitter pill to swallow. The situation is escalating which puts us all in danger. As for these reasons, I cannot find my peace. Especially since I know I can’t stay passive. I need to act.

What does your job look like right now amid the military coup and the growing social resistance? How are you operating?

My professional career revolves around enhancing journalists’ networks and providing them assistance, training, or simple advice they might need. I am a journalist myself working on gender and peace issues. Given the incredibly tense situation, I focus now on coordination, which is very much needed. I attend the protests to assess the current circumstances and document threats to media freedom. I receive much information from journalists and media organizations, journalists’ unions who are on the ground in different parts of the country. We exchange expertise and strengthen the network of journalists in order to secure a flow of reliable news and be able to identify the challenges we need to tackle together with Myanmar Press Council to work on safety issues. Journalists can reach out to me in order to contact another person from the field in case help or assistance is needed. It’s informal and discrete as we cannot afford the military to infiltrate us.

Are local journalists from smaller cities more exposed to danger than those who work in bigger metropolitan areas?

Thank you. Boys really deserved this recognition. But I need to point out that what has really sustained us and actually helps keep the pressure are civil society groups who themselves have become a target. They had the option of not doing anything. Instead, they chose to take on its course and they have helped keep the story alive; they have helped put pressure on authorities. Last year we saw huge protests in the streets initiated by the people who have been showing their support from the beginning. They are not discouraged by the restrictions regarding public gatherings imposed due to the pandemic. They just reshaped their strategy, went online, remain active and they commemorate Daphne every month. This is very important as a family, but also for the process of justice because it keeps reminding people out there that this has not gone away. The crime has not been solved.

How do you remember the day of the coup? Did you see it coming?

The military coup took place on Monday, February 1. On the preceding weekend, we received some off-the-record information that the military was preparing for overthrowing the government. The military itself issued a vague statement pointing out the tensions in the society. Personally, I thought it would have happened on Sunday night as diplomats received some information, but it was still uncertain. I started receiving calls on Monday, early morning when we all found that it eventually happened. I immediately felt really upset and worried. As soon as I checked how my family is, I jumped to action. I started contacting activists, journalists and building up a support network so we could be somehow prepared for what comes next. Around 11 a.m. the military shut down the mobile network and the internet.

We hear that the protests are growing, police started to use violence against the protestors, and many are injured. On the other hand, some police officers have decided to join the protest. The situation is very complex and dynamic. Could you describe it and explain it to us?

Protests are indeed getting bigger, and more people, including police officers, join the social resistance. In the immediate aftermath of the coup, people began organizing online campaigns and coordinating protests. This is a part of CDM (civil disobedience movement), which grew online, and now we push this agenda further on the streets. Protestors are very smart, often young. Hence, they use alternative ways to show their defiance. They know how to use social media for their purposes, they know how to attract more citizens to join them, they even wear costumes and play music. This is a new type of social unrest led by generations X and Y. However, the military also has its supporters who cheer up for the coup. However, this is a marginal group. The situation gets very interesting as members of the government consider to join CDM. Most of the Myanmar Public TV staff openly support the protest already. Most of the healthcare workers from major state hospitals are with us, some of them are even shut down. We will see. We have public solidarity, and they have resources. That’s why we need to encourage public officials to join the CDM movement so the basic services stop working. This is an uneven battle, and it gets more violent. On February 9, a 19-year old girl was shot and now she is in hospital in critical condition. Today’s protests are surely inspired by the previous big civil resistance movements from 1988 and 2017 but differ from them not only in terms of the form but also a scale. Today’s protests are widespread across the country. People are gathering in front of embassies, in front of pagodas, including famous Sule Pagoda.

Let’s speak more about the crackdown on press freedom and the threats to journalists, women journalists in particular. We know that many journalists are seeking safe houses, need to move their equipment at night, and are really worried about their safety.

All of the journalists are in potential danger, regardless of what they do. It can certainly be fieldwork but also just edits of the coverage, managing websites, and coordination of logistics directly from home. Those who work on the ground are usually not very well equipped— they don’t have helmets or any safety kit, therefore they may experience physical violence. Women journalists are additionally exposed to threats strictly related to their gender, such as sexual harassment. The danger of sexual assault is real for any woman who decides to appear on a protest. Police arrested one of the protesting women in the same city. They pushed her, grabbed her by the arms, pulled her hair, and stripped her clothes, revealing the whole body. Moreover, attacks on journalists come from pro-military protestors who conduct their own crusade. One female just simply took a photo, which spiked a great rage among some men. They assaulted her, tried to grab her phone, pulled her hair, and really wanted to hurt her. This is simply despicable. It is also more difficult for a woman to find a safe spot to hide. Some challenges directly come from the patriarchal culture. Parents don’t support women in their professional careers, especially when they want to pursue reporting. For many of them still, a woman’s place is at home.

Do we know if some journalists were already detained or arrested?

Police regularly confront journalists working on the ground, suggesting to them what they can and cannot do. As for now, it is very difficult to assess whether somebody from the press was detained or not. We heard about a male journalist that might have been detained or arrested, but we don’t know many details. We are prepared that arrests and detentions will be happening more often. I recently learned that one male journalist based in the eastern part of the country is in hiding as he fears for his life. One of my journalist friends also went into hiding after military troops raided his house and seized his belongings in the search of materials from the protests. Most of the journalists need to hide and change locations. It quickly became a pattern.

How are Myanmar journalists coping with this extremely difficult situation?

Together with various press freedom initiatives, we constantly expand our network and facilitate communication among journalists. We try to assess who could provide what and who needs some help. We share this information within the group and act accordingly. Either we help directly or we put somebody in contact with those who have possibilities to support journalists in a specific situation. We look for safe houses, we provide safety kits, sometimes I even offer people to stay at my place as well. Our group is informal, and we are very careful to keep our activities away from the military’s surveillance. I cannot share too much. Safety and anonymity are our priorities. This way we can really help. We do what we can, and we support each other.

What could the international community do to support the people in Myanmar? What would you expect from us?

The mental support and gestures of solidarity are very important and help us carry on. Thank you for speaking up and pressuring the military. It's important. Undoubtedly, lack of safety remains the biggest challenge as we struggle with financial resources. Most of us can’t afford better, more secure equipment, a safety kit, and other tools, which would make it easier for us to operate. We started to receive small grants in order to provide helmets, vests, and make sure that more and more journalists will use VPN. But it’s a drop in the ocean.

The military repeatedly shuts down the internet. How is it right now?

Luckily, the internet was restored, and we don’t have much problems as of now. However, we hear the rumors that the military is planning to cut the connection again. Social media platforms are officially blocked in Myanmar, but many people already learned their lesson and have a VPN. This way, they can use Facebook and Twitter to share images and videos from the protests that later go viral. Funny thing is that the military communicates via its Facebook page as well, even though they announced this ban themselves. We really focus on making as big traffic as possible on Twitter, we organize campaigns, we point out those who threaten us, we stay transparent, and deliver the message to the world. Now everybody can know what is happening in Myanmar.

I believe we are now witnessing the rise of citizen journalism in Myanmar. People who have no prior journalistic experience now participate in this socio-political upheaval and cover it like journalists, in a sense. Twitter is full of such samples of modern reporting.

Absolutely. People understand the power of the internet. They know that access to information is precious. Hence, they use their phones in the best possible way. Many of my friends who are not journalists regularly post videos with comments, answer the questions and explain the whole situation. They naturally became reporters on the ground. This is our new civil power. We need to cherish and embrace it.

What is your prognosis for the future?

We can’t lose hope. Although, I wouldn’t dare to predict what will happen in the future. We can win this battle for democracy, but we need the civil disobedience movement to expand and become stronger. We really count on the international community to pursue advocacy and support us. President Joe Biden just imposed sanctions on Myanmar generals involved in the coup. Economic and political pressure can really make a difference. It just needs to be persistent.