In the unfolding Spring Revolution against the military coup of February 1, Ei Thinzar Maung has emerged as a fierce political activist and a symbol of public resistance. Her fiery oratory and intelligent analyses won over the public’s heart and made her a leader for the people to follow. However, such dedication comes with a great price. “I fear for my life. And I know they will kill me if I ever get arrested”, Ei Thinzar Maung revealed in a conversation with CFWIJ’s Katarzyna Mierzejewska. “Everyone is fearful of being arrested, abducted, tormented, or even executed on the street because the security troops are killing wantonly day and night, on the streets or inside residential homes”, she says. Ei Thinzar Maung is currently on the military regime’s wanted list of activists.

More than a month after an orchestrated coup against the country's democratically elected government, the military steadily extends its crackdown on civil liberties and press freedom. A staggering number of journalists face detentions, endure physical abuse, and are under pervasive surveillance. “There are not many journalists left in Yangon or Mandalay”, says Naw Betty Han, a female journalist at Frontier Myanmar. In the face of growing persecution, journalists flee their communities, operate in hiding, and work undercover. Some try freelancing, others decide to put their reporting on hold as the pressure is unbearable.

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.