The Independent Press Council Myanmar (IPCM) has called on the junta to lift internet restrictions and allow international journalists into disaster zones to report on casualties and destruction following the 28 March 2025 earthquake that hit central Myanmar.
International media has been eager to enter Myanmar to cover the aftermath of the magnitude 7.7 earthquake with its epicentre in Sagaing. It caused widespread destruction to cities, towns, and villages, including the cities of Sagaing, Mandalay, Tada-U, Taungoo, and the capital, Naypyidaw.
But, the junta has refused to allow journalists from international media organisations to enter the country, because it claims that it cannot guarantee their safety.
The IPCM said that the junta should grant visas to international journalists to cover the earthquake because media coverage can provide aid agencies and international organisations with accurate information about the situation in disaster zones and those in need.
The IPCM has also called for the junta to lift its enforcement of various restrictions on internet access and freedoms, which have exacerbated the current situation. It should restore internet access in areas where it has been cut off out of concern for the well-being of the people.
U Ye Ni, an IPCM spokesperson said: “We believe the junta is blocking international media from entering the country, much like what happened after Cyclone Nargis [in May 2008], to hide the true extent of the suffering caused by the disaster. The internet is crucial for the rapid flow of information, yet the junta has been enforcing internet restrictions since the coup. We're calling for these restrictions to be lifted, as they’re essential for effective relief efforts for those affected by the earthquake.”
The ICPM also wants to see better internet connectivity throughout the country and to this end it called on the junta to stop blocking the internet and to allow deployment of the Starlink internet satellite communication system that is being offered by the international community.
The ICPM also called on the junta to stop arbitrarily detaining journalists and to release any detained journalists that it has imprisoned, including Sai Thaw Thei, a photojournalist from Myanmar Now who was sentenced top 20 years in prison for his coverage of the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha in Arakan (Rakhine) State in 2023.
Currently, the only international media in Myanmar is a team from Al Jazeera that was already in the country to cover Armed Forces Day in Myanmar on 27 March.
The international community has started responding to the earthquake by sending relief teams and aid materials and food to Myanmar.
According to civil society organisations collecting data on the earthquake in Myanmar the death toll in the country has risen to over 3,000 with over 3,500 injured, as of 2 April.
The earthquake also caused some damage in neighbouring countries, but Myanmar was the country that was the worst hit, by far, according to reports from regional media outlets.
