Just days after coup leader Min Aung Hlaing was inaugurated as president, his newly rebranded administration announced the revocation of publishing licenses for three news agencies, including two major outlets based in Chin State.
The Ministry of Information of the junta-turned-new administration announced on April 24 that the news production rights of Chin State-based Khonumthung and Chin World, as well as Nowadays News, currently based in Chiang Mai, Thailand, were revoked with effect from April 9.
Regardless of the junta's various forms of oppression, Khonumthung will remain steadfast in its commitment to truth and the people, and will continue to deliver timely, ethical, and accurate news to the public, said Salai Robert, an editor of Khonumthung.
“That wasn’t an unexpected situation for us. Since the military coup on February 1, 2021, there has been absolutely no press freedom or freedom of expression in Myanmar. We all know that the coup regime has targeted independent media like ours as enemies, revoked their publishing licenses, and arrested and imprisoned journalists. The junta has been arresting and cracking down on individuals, organisations, and media agencies it believes could pose a threat to or oppose it, under the pretext of protecting national security, the rule of law, and public peace. The revocation of our publishing license is also based on the same motive,” he said.
Khonumthung was registered as a news agency under the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led civilian government before the coup. After its license expired in 2025, the junta issued a renewal notice, but Khonumthung chose not to renew it under the coup regime.
The Ministry of Information of the junta-turned-administration said in its statement that Khonumthung, Chin World, and Nowadays News failed to comply with the rules of the Printing and Publishing Act and had produced content that jeopardized national security, the rule of law, and public order. The ministry announced that the three media agencies would no longer be permitted to report, broadcast, or produce news using any platform or technology.
According to U Toe Zaw Latt, secretary of the Independent Press Council Myanmar (IPCM), Min Aung Hlaing had already enacted laws to suppress the media before shedding his military uniform and forming a nominally civilian government, and is now preparing to intensify the crackdown under the current rebranded version of the old regime.
“The very idea that a media license is necessary for the media industry is fundamentally wrong. In a democratic country, a media license is not necessary at all. So, laws that require licensing for media work should be abolished. The media industry should not be something that operates only with someone’s permission. Anyone who provides information that the public needs to know should have the right to run a media outlet freely. A licensing system is a very bad restriction. Since the junta-drafted 2008 constitution has already been rejected after the coup, the three media-related laws under it should also be abolished. Licensing is a mechanism designed by the junta to control, not facilitate, the media industry. The junta revoking the license of a news agency like Khonumthung will have no real effect on it. We urge Khonumthung to continue doing its best and to keep fulfilling its media responsibilities,” he said.
Khonumthung and Chin World are members of Burma News International (BNI), a network of 15 ethnic media organisations.
According to IPCM data, during the five years since the coup, the junta has revoked the licences of 15 media agencies, killed at least 7 journalists, arrested more than 200 journalists, and is currently holding more than 40 in prison.
