More than two years after the military coup in Myanmar, the country's media landscape looks bleaker than ever. At least 130 journalists have been arrested, and around 50 remain in prison. Many media outlets in the country are now operating in exile, and for most of them, trying to continue covering the country from neighboring Thailand has proven to be a very challenging task.

"Journalists have either been on the run or left the country, and we can't do our work properly and professionally," said Sonny Swe, founder of independent media outlet Frontier Myanmar. "A lot of people are leaving journalism because they need to support themselves."

Swe and his team left the country in October 2021, following the arrest of Frontier Myanmar's managing editor Danny Fenster and a regular columnist. "The police and soldiers were chasing our reporters," Swe told DW. "We were all in hiding, and there were just many signs that we can no longer work freely in the country. Leaving was the right decision for us."

Myanmar's journalists escape to Thailand

After contemplating how to flee the country, Swe and some Frontier Myanmar journalists flew to Chiang Mai in Thailand, joining scores of other Myanmar journalists.

According to Daniel Bastard, the head of the Asia-Pacific desk for press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders, 115 journalists were arrested in the first year of the coup in 2021. Since February 2022, 15 new arrests have been made.

"This shows that it's becoming more difficult for the junta to arrest journalists, as they go into hiding or flee the country," he told DW.

"But even when the number of arrests starts to slow down, the number of sentences given to journalists by military courts has increased. Most journalists were given three-year jail sentences, but there are signs that the length of sentence is getting longer," he added.

Starting from scratch in exile

Swe originally thought the Frontier Myanmar team could easily restart operations from Thailand, but a wave of COVID-19 infections, the arrests of more reporters and the lack of access to sources and information in Myanmar complicated efforts.

"There was no easy way to get back into full swing, but we managed to do it," he told DW. "We rely on existing sources, and it's difficult to gain new sources when we are reporting from abroad. This is becoming the new normal, where we have to find other ways to do reporting," Swe explained.

Naw Betty Han from Frontier Myanmar told DW that nowadays, she mostly relies on social media to connect with sources in Myanmar, but since some areas have no access to the internet, she must call those sources by phone.

Journalists face safety, legal challenges

Emilie Lehmann-Jacobsen, the program development adviser for Asia at International Media Support in Denmark, said many Myanmar journalists now living in relative safety in Chiang Mai still face many legal, personal and security issues as they try to maintain operations in exile.

"There are a lot of safety concerns, as there is a strong tie between the Thai military and Myanmar military, which also means many people don't know what consequences there will be in the long run," she said.

Naw Betty Han recounted when she tried to renew her passport in Chiang Mai, the Myanmar consulate in the city accused Frontier Myanmar of producing fake information after they reported that Burmese migrant workers were having difficulties renewing their passports.

"I'm very worried about myself becoming undocumented, but I also have no plan to apply for asylum in another country," she told DW.

Swe believes that as long as Frontier Myanmar directs all of its focus to Myanmar while staying away from political issues in Thailand, he thinks his journalists should be safe.

"The reason why we choose to be in Thailand is that it's the closest country to Myanmar, and Myanmar migrants are everywhere in Thailand," he told DW. "It's a safe haven, no matter what the track record is. Thailand is also a lot safer than Myanmar."

Myanmar's exiles need urgent international support

With the military junta still controlling Myanmar, Swe thinks Myanmar journalists will have to adjust and accept that reporting on the country in exile will be the new normal.

"When we first got to Thailand, I was planning to be around for two years, but now, I'm planning to be around for another seven to 10 years," he said. "I don't think Myanmar journalists can go home anytime soon, so we are now all focusing on long-term sustainability wherever we go."

Swe and Han both hope the international community will reserve more attention and support for Myanmar, as the coup enters its third year.

"We are all yelling for help, especially since the media sector in Myanmar is completely gone," said Swe.

"We have to find a way to sustain ourselves so we can stay in the business and keep an eye on the country. People need to know the truth… That's the most important thing."

Edited by: Sou-Jie van Brunnersum 

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