Unit 1: 1.1. INTRODUCTION Background Context of Press Freedom in Myanmar Amongst the attacks to press freedom in Myanmar’s history, military coup d’états have often proved to be the worst since the military typically commits arbitrarily arresting, detaining, violently humiliating journalists, and news media, and sometimes pressing charges against them with criminal laws. A decade after Myanmar’s independence, the military administration, resulting from the first military take-over in 1958, banned privately owned Lu-Du (the People) and Kyae-Mone (the Mirror) newspapers for criticizing them and sent many journalists to the Great Coco Island, a penal colony. In 1962, General Ne Win, the leader of the armed forces, staged a coup d’état and formed Union Revolutionary Council. The council curbed press freedom by shutting down all privateowned newspapers. Meanwhile, many journalists faced long years sentenced in prison, likewise the political oppositions. Again in 1988’s military takeover for the third time, numerous journalists followed the same fate as the previous ones, facing arrests and detaining. The fourth coup d’état by the military took place on 1st February 2021. It brought the same pattern of oppression to a more substantial degree on journalists and privately-owned news media by applying the most critical restrictions to survive, including suspending licenses. The attacks on press freedom on the fourth coup d’état hit heavier than in 1962, curtailing: hundreds of journalists have been arrested, nine news media outlets have been suspended licenses, and many journalists have suffered arrest, raids, inspecting, threats, and impediments. Some of the detained journalists went to trials on the charge of severe criminal cases as others have undergone arbitrary arrest, long-term interrogation in investigation agencies, long-term torture under custody, and other intimidations. A day after the coup, State Administration Council (hereafter will be termed as SAC) announced a statement to restrict press freedom on 2nd February. The council subsequently shut down nine news media outlets and raided and ransacked those offices, arrested the senior profiles, and later the reporters in those media outlets. Moreover, they filed the Irrawaddy News before the court. Incessantly arresting the journalists and continuous raids to their offices and personal residences have forced them to internally emigrate, choose areas under the control of ethnic armed organizations, or flee abroad to ensure sustaining their journalism professions and careers. Repeated Dark Age of News Media 2