Media safety and protection program In April 2026, Independent Press Council Myanmar announced a call for a safety and protection program to provide assistance to journalists in April 2026. Journalists who are currently engaged in media work may apply for (1) emergency relocation assistance (within Myanmar or across border) and (2) assistance in obtaining legal residency documentation. The requirements include that applicants must be actively engaged in journalism between July 2025 and March 2026 and must submit three news articles or reports links that they personally produced between February and March 2026. The announcement frames military repression of journalists as an ongoing structural problem rather than a temporary emergency. By recounting the continuous persecution since the 2021 coup, IPCM establishes the justification for a formal protection programme, recognising that displacement has become a long-term feature of Myanmar’s media landscape. Update on Journalism and Media Safety in Myanmar 16