IFJ Condemns Myanmar Junta’s Attempt to Pursue Arrests of Five News Outlets Through Interpol

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly condemned on October 14 the Myanmar military junta’s reported plan to pursue legal action and arrests through the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) against five independent Myanmar news outlets operating in exile.

The five news outlets reportedly targeted by the junta are Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), The Irrawaddy, Mizzima, Myanmar Now, and Khit Thit.

The IFJ and its affiliate, the Exiled Myanmar Journalists Network (Exiled-MJN), said the move threatens press freedom and amounts to an abuse of cross-border policing mechanisms to silence media outlets that criticize and expose the junta’s actions.

The news outlets relocated abroad after the 2021 military coup, following the revocation of their media licenses and mounting repression. The IFJ warned that journalists in exile could face pressure due to residency restrictions and other legal challenges, as well as the risk of being handed over to the Myanmar military.

The IFJ criticized the junta for seeking international legitimacy while continuing to suppress media organizations and journalists who report on its alleged abuses.

The federation also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting journalists facing difficulties both inside Myanmar and abroad. It urged the international community to protect Myanmar journalists and ensure that they can gather and report news freely and safely.

At a parliamentary session on October 6, Major General Min Thu, the junta’s Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, reportedly said that cases had been opened under relevant laws against individuals opposing the military coup, including the five news outlets. They were accused of publishing material that undermined the country’s dignity and engaging in activities intended to disrupt the administrative mechanism.

His remarks came in response to a question from Daw Than Than Aye, a parliamentarian from the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), about measures being taken to arrest opponents of the military.

According to the IFJ statement, Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution strictly prohibits the organization from undertaking any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious, or racial character.

This provision raises questions about how international police cooperation could be used in efforts to pursue arrests against the news outlets.

The IFJ also stated that the junta had revoked the passports of more than 1,300 individuals associated with anti-military groups who had fled abroad. It further reported that supporters of anti-military movements overseas had been subjected to surveillance and blacklisting, and that Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations had also been targeted.

Records indicate that at least seven journalists have been killed in Myanmar since the military coup in 2021.

In addition, records from the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL), covering the period through September 2026, indicate that the junta had arrested at least 227 journalists and sentenced 100 of them to a combined total of 549 years in prison.

The IFJ called on the international community to protect the safety of Myanmar journalists and uphold press freedom. It also pledged to continue monitoring repression against journalists both inside the country and in exile.

Source: International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)