IPCM offers emergency support to Myanmar journalists facing threats, exile
DMG Newsroom
5 October 2026, Yangon
The Independent Press Council Myanmar (IPCM) has launched an emergency assistance programme for journalists forced to relocate because of threats linked to their work and for Myanmar journalists living abroad who need legal documentation to continue working safely.
In a statement issued on October 5, IPCM said journalists have faced sustained repression since the February 2021 military coup, forcing many to flee to border areas and neighbouring countries while others continue reporting inside Myanmar despite serious security risks.
Under its Media Safety and Protection Programme, IPCM will provide financial assistance to journalists who need to relocate urgently within Myanmar or abroad to escape arrest or threats arising from their reporting.
The programme will also support Myanmar journalists living outside the country who need legal documentation to secure lawful residence and continue their media work.
IPCM said journalists living abroad without legal status face the risk of arrest and deportation to Myanmar, as well as difficulties obtaining work permits and accessing healthcare.
Eligible applicants include journalists who have continued working in the media since June 2026 and currently face threats to their lives or safety, or need emergency relocation because of their journalism. Myanmar journalists abroad who need assistance obtaining legal documentation to continue living and working outside the country are also eligible.
Applicants must submit three links to their own reporting or media work produced between July and September 2026, together with background information and a personal profile.
They must also provide a recommendation from a responsible official at their media organisation. Freelance journalists may submit a recommendation from an outlet to which they contribute.
Applications will be assessed by an emergency assistance review committee comprising IPCM executive committee members and representatives of the independent media sector, according to the statement.
The assistance programme comes amid continuing restrictions on independent journalism in Myanmar more than five years after the military seized power.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranks Myanmar 166th out of 180 countries in its 2026 World Press Freedom Index and describes the environment for journalism as extremely dangerous. RSF says independent media outlets have largely been forced underground or into exile since the coup, while journalists working inside the country face risks including arrest, imprisonment and torture.
The organisation currently lists 39 journalists and two media workers as detained in Myanmar.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), meanwhile, ranked Myanmar as the world's second-worst jailer of journalists in its 2025 prison census, documenting 30 journalists behind bars as of December 1, 2025.
Restrictions on independent media have continued in 2026. In April, military authorities revoked the publishing licences of three independent news outlets—Khonumthung Media Group, Chin World and Myatmaukkhit News Agency—prompting several journalists associated with the outlets to go into hiding over fears of arrest or harassment, according to CPJ.
IPCM said on World Press Freedom Day in May that more than 200 journalists had been arrested since the coup and condemned continued imprisonment of journalists, revocation of media licences and other restrictions on independent reporting.
The council's latest programme is intended to help journalists facing immediate threats relocate to safer areas and to enable those already outside Myanmar to obtain legal status and continue their work.
Journalists seeking assistance can apply through IPCM's online support portal. A passcode required for the application can be obtained through the IPCM Facebook Page Messenger.
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