Amid ongoing armed conflicts in Myanmar, the Independent Press Council Myanmar (IPCM) issued a statement on January 19 calling for journalists working in conflict situations to be guaranteed safe access to information and effective protection.
“The junta does not allow press freedom at all. It often pressures media agencies to write only content that favors it. In resistance-controlled areas, press freedom has also not yet reached the level people expect. There are still problems in some places, and these issues still need to be resolved through continued dialogue. Press freedom is not only important for us as journalists. It is also important for people to know the truth about what is happening in conflict areas. We will keep discussing these issues,” U Toe Zaw Latt, the spokesperson for the IPCM told KIC.
He added that even after the coup junta completes its current three-phase election process, journalists will still have to operate in a landscape where press freedom does not exist. For this reason, IPCM will need to continue its efforts to ensure journalists’ protection. Resistance leaders who control territories should cooperate with foresight on this issue, U Toe Zaw also suggested.
Following IPCM’s second general assembly held on January 17 and 18, 2026, it agreed to issue five demands.
These include respecting and safeguarding journalists’ safety and protection; upholding freedom to report independently; ensuring the unconditional and immediate release of the 27 media workers currently detained in Myanmar’s prisons; immediately ceasing the targeted arrest, torture, and imprisonment of journalists; and calling on international organizations to support the continued survival and long-term sustainability of independent Myanmar media.
“Press freedom is the fourth pillar of society. It ensures that the public has access to information they have a right to know. Working in the midst of armed conflict means that danger is often unavoidable. However, upholding mutual respect and paying close attention to security is a shared responsibility. As long as mutual respect exists and if we continue our work with commitment and determination, we believe that independent journalism and independent media will survive and endure in the long term,” Padoh Saw Taw Nee, spokesperson for the Karen National Union (KNU), said in response to the ICPM’s statement.
During the assembly, IPCM members reported on the council’s activities over the two-year period of 2024 and 2025, reaffirmed its organizational structure, discussed issues related to ethnic languages and media, and deliberated on policies to prevent and address various forms of sexual harassment in the media workplace.
According to IPCM’s statement, discussions were also held on the future role of independent media beyond 2025, including topics such as ‘freedom of expression in a future Myanmar, journalists’ safety, and the prospects for the survival and long-term sustainability of independent media.’
At the assembly, IPCM members attending the meeting elected 14 individuals by secret ballot to serve on the IPCM Executive Committee, including 9 representatives from media organizations, 3 freelance journalists, and 2 media experts.
IPCM’s statement said that more than 100 participants including IPCM members, partner media agencies, Myanmar media networks, and representatives from relevant organizations attended the two-day assembly.
IPCM was officially established on December 22, 2023, with the aim of promoting media freedom in Myanmar, ensuring journalists’ safety and protection, and enabling formal cooperation among regional and international press councils. IPCM currently has 41 member media organizations and 18 freelance members.
