The War On News

A record of government actions against journalism and fact-based reporting, from the first press laws to today

Incident

Myanmar junta revokes five outlets' licenses and raids newsrooms after coup

MyanmarRSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180

Engraving of an empty press briefing room with a lectern and rows of chairs

Weeks after seizing power, Myanmar's military junta revoked the operating licenses of five independent media outlets covering protests against the coup and raided two of their newsrooms, seizing computers and files; journalists from the outlets were later arrested and charged under a broadened penal-code provision on spreading 'false news.'1

What happened

On March 8 and 9, 2021, Myanmar's military junta revoked the licenses of five independent outlets, Mizzima, Myanmar Now, 7Day News, Democratic Voice of Burma and Khit Thit Media, which had been covering protests against the February 1 coup. Soldiers and police raided Myanmar Now's Yangon office, seizing computers, documents and server equipment, and raided Mizzima's head office the following day. Two weeks after the coup, the junta had broadened Article 505(a) of the penal code to criminalize spreading what it called false news, raising the maximum penalty from two to three years in prison; journalists from the affected outlets were later arrested and charged under the provision while covering the protests. The Committee to Protect Journalists said the junta must immediately reverse the license suspensions and let the outlets resume normal operations.123

What reason was given

Stated justification

Myanmar's Ministry of Information did not respond to CPJ's request for comment explaining the license revocations; the junta separately said in public statements that it respected media freedom while warning outlets against using words like "coup" and "junta."123

What changed for reporting

Five of Myanmar's most prominent independent outlets lost their legal authority to operate inside the country, and reporting on the coup and its aftermath increasingly had to be produced from exile or underground.2

Timeline

2021

8 March 2021
Myanmar junta revokes five outlets' licenses and raids newsrooms after coup

Who acted

NameRole in this incidentOffice at the time
Min Aung HlaingorderedChairman, Myanmar State Administration Council
Myanmar military (Tatmadaw)enforcedArmed forces and ruling junta since the February 2021 coup

Sources

  1. Myanmar military raids newsrooms, revokes 5 media outlets' licensesCommittee to Protect Journalists, 2021-03-09, reporting. Source record
  2. Bitter reversal: Myanmar military coup wipes out press freedom gainsCommittee to Protect Journalists, 2021-07-01, reporting. Source record

Claims and evidence

Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.

  1. CPJ said the junta must reverse the license suspensions and let the outlets resume operating normally.Myanmar's junta must immediately reverse its wrongheaded move to suspend local media groups' operating licensesMyanmar military raids newsrooms, revokes 5 media outlets' licenses, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2021-03-09.Claim 407, checked 2026-09-22.
  2. The military broadened a penal-code provision to criminalize spreading false news, raising the maximum penalty to three years.false newsBitter reversal: Myanmar military coup wipes out press freedom gains, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2021-07-01.Claim 408, checked 2026-09-22.
  3. CPJ's census found at least 32 journalists imprisoned in Myanmar for their work as of July 1, 2021.respects and values media freedomBitter reversal: Myanmar military coup wipes out press freedom gains, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2021-07-01.Claim 409, checked 2026-09-22.