Ma Thida (an alias) lives in a Mandalay Region town where she has been working as a journalist since attending a basic journalism training course organized by a local news agency in 2020.

Her name is well known in her town on the outskirts of Mandalay Region, because there are just a few reporters in the area.

When faced with a military coup, a journalist, especially a woman, faces many challenges. At the beginning of the anti-junta movement, she was involved in the protests every day and could take news photos.

Later, the military junta became more violent and made arrests, which became a problem for her. "The first difficulty that I faced during the movement was the arbitrary arrests and detentions of journalists because the military junta wanted to stop the flow of information", Thidar said.

As the anti-junta movement escalated, an arrest warrant against Thida was issued under Section 505 (a) of the Penal Code that says it is a crime to publish or circulate any “statement, rumor or report… with intent to cause any officer, soldier, sailor or airman, in the Army, Navy or Air Force to mutiny or otherwise disregard or fail in his duty.”

As soon as the warrant was issued Thida fled from her home.As a freelance reporter she is responsible for and has to arrange her own security.

"It is very difficult to move to a new place these days because of the arrests made by the military junta. We are not safe, especially women. There is no security guarantee for freelance reporters,” said Thidar. “After a warrant was issued against me I had to move from one town to another. It is not safe for a girl to live in another town. Every place where I lived was very insecure”, said Thida.

Thida had to move to the liberated areas controlled by Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs). She said that she is determined to continue her passion for journalism. She is now in a liberated area but there is insufficient food and shelter. She said that sometimes it is very difficult to access the Internet for reporting.

“I have to walk for about two hours to be able to access the Internet for news reporting. Food and shelters are not sufficient. The military junta has cut off internet lines, and internet package prices have skyrocketed, making it difficult to send news via the Internet. But, because I wanted to continue my journalism I have to stay in a liberated area in the forest. I don’t dare to return home because the military junta had issued an arrest warrant for me. I have not seen my family for about a year”, Thida frankly said about her current situation.

When the military seized power it took control of the media. Nine privately-owned media outlets have been banned in Myanmar.

Currently, Burmese journalists are facing an even worse situation than they did in the past. Any journalist who writes critically of the military is subject to arbitrary arrest and execution.