Myanmar’s junta has officially banned the online news outlet The Irrawaddy and charged the outlet’s registered publisher for violating national security laws, state media reported over the weekend, following months of legal harassment.
The ban is the latest on at least 20 media groups—news agencies, publishing houses, and printing presses—since the military seized power in a Feb. 1, 2021, coup and began a crackdown on press freedom in Myanmar.
The Irrrawaddy, founded in 1993, is known for its breaking news coverage and investigative pieces that shed light on government abuses in both Burmese and English. Its editorials were critical of the military rule, and it had ceased operations in Myanmar after the February 2021 coup, moving production and editorial staff outside the country.
Since taking power, the junta has moved aggressively to shut down media outlets. It has also detained more than 140 journalists, 60 of whom remain in prison and four of whom have died in custody.
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