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| Myanmar Now | |
|---|---|
| Name | Myanmar Now |
| Type | News website |
| Foundation | 2015 |
| Founder | Khet Mar, Soe Myint |
| Headquarters | Yangon |
| Language | Burmese language, English language |
Myanmar Now is an independent news website and multimedia outlet founded in 2015 and based in Yangon. The outlet has focused on investigative journalism and human rights reporting within Myanmar and the wider Southeast Asia region, producing long-form investigations, video features, and breaking news coverage. Its work has intersected with major political events such as the 2015 Myanmar general election, the 2020 Myanmar general election, and the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, and has involved collaboration with international organizations, press freedom groups, and regional media networks.
Myanmar Now was established in the aftermath of political reforms associated with the 2010 Myanmar general election and the opening that followed the 2011–2016 government transition led by Thein Sein. Founders and early editors included journalists with backgrounds at outlets such as The Irrawaddy, Frontier Myanmar, and Mizzima News who sought to create an investigative desk modeled on regional peers like Rappler and The Jakarta Post. The outlet expanded during the period of the National League for Democracy administration under Aung San Suu Kyi after the 2015 Myanmar general election, covering high-profile events including the Rohingya conflict in Rakhine State and the Hlaingthaya massacre aftermath. Following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état led by the Tatmadaw (Myanmar), the newsroom faced intensified constraints, relocation of staff, and networked partnerships with diasporic media such as Mizzima and Democratic Voice of Burma.
The outlet has operated as a not-for-profit newsroom with a structure combining editorial teams, investigative units, multimedia producers, and legal advisers. Its funding mix has included grants and partnerships with international organizations such as Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Free Press Unlimited, International Center for Journalists, and foundations active in press freedom advocacy like Open Society Foundations. Project-based support also came from media development funds including the National Endowment for Democracy and regional philanthropy networks tied to ASEAN-focused programs. Staffing has involved reporters, photographers, and producers drawn from Yangon and diaspora hubs in Bangkok and Chiang Mai.
Myanmar Now’s reporting has ranged from investigations into corporate interests tied to conglomerates such as Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited and Max Myanmar to human rights documentation connected to actors in Rakhine State and Kachin State. The outlet produced investigative series on issues that touched on institutions like State Administration Council policies post-coup, as well as examinations of legal instruments including the Unlawful Associations Act and the Telecommunications Law. Multimedia coverage combined text, video, and data journalism techniques influenced by regional partners like Coconuts Media and Al Jazeera English. The newsroom collaborated on cross-border investigations with international outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and Reuters and with thematic consortia like the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.
Reporting by the newsroom has influenced public debates around accountability, leading to heightened scrutiny of business–military links involving entities like Myanmar Economic Corporation and figures tied to Min Aung Hlaing. Investigations have informed advocacy by rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International (organization), and have been cited in regional policy discussions within ASEAN forums and by UN mechanisms such as the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar. The outlet and its journalists have received industry awards and recognition from bodies including the Committee to Protect Journalists and the Asian Investigative Reporters Network for investigative work and human rights reporting.
Myanmar Now has faced legal actions, censorship, and equipment seizures under statutes enforced by successive authorities including the pre-coup administration and the post-coup State Administration Council. Journalists associated with the outlet have been charged under laws such as the Official Secrets Act (Myanmar) and provisions of the Penal Code (British India) retained in Myanmar’s legal framework. Following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, several reporters were targeted in arrest warrants and asset freezes linked to security agencies under leaders like Min Aung Hlaing; some staff relocated to neighboring countries including Thailand to continue operations. Its experience reflects broader challenges documented by press freedom organizations including Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists.
The newsroom’s portfolio includes probes into military–business entanglements involving conglomerates such as Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited and Myanmar Economic Corporation, reporting on displacement and atrocities in Rakhine State and Kachin State, and documentation of civilian harm during operations in Sagaing Region and Shan State. Significant stories examined land confiscations tied to developers like Shwe Taung Group and international trade links with partners in China, Thailand, and Singapore. Other notable pieces exposed corruption allegations related to infrastructure projects financed by entities associated with Min Aung Hlaing allies, and reported on the use of digital surveillance tools supplied by firms in Israel and China. Collaborative investigations with outlets such as The New York Times and regional networks brought global attention to human rights concerns and corporate accountability in the country.
Category:News media in Myanmar Category:Investigative journalism