The Press Council, which is supposed to protect the rights of journalists and the rights of journalists, becomes in the same position as the military council to suppress press freedom. In an interview, a journalist remarked on the condition, “The media council become a puppet of the military regime. It will be no use for journalists anymore. They suppress press freedoms as the military regime desires instead of protecting us.” On 24th November, the council’s oath of councilor event for the third term was held. However, the coup flipped the council’s purpose to promote press freedom, rights of journalists, and capacity building of the sector. The activities of journalists and media outlets gradually dimmed and claims for press freedom and rights of the journalists became gradually silenced. 6.2. Statements of Journalist Organizations and News Agencies on Press Freedom and Repressions Within a few months after the coup, journalist organizations issued statements about the repression of journalists, calling for the rights and freedoms of journalists. The media organizations’ claims were consistently ignored by the SAC, and suppressions over journalists intensified, the statements of media organizations became less frequent. On an earlier statement on 10th February, Burma News International (BNI), a coalition of ethnic media outlets, called for not suppressing and undermining press freedom and rights to information in the face of political instability when ethnic peoples across the country need access to accurate information. It called on SAC not to take violent actions against journalists but to work with local and international media organizations and donors to ensure press freedom, public access to information, and the safety of journalists. On 13th February, 28 media outlets, including journalist organizations, denounced the SAC’s drafted amendment of the Cyber-security Law, which violates citizens’ fundamental rights and suppresses press freedom secured by News Media Law. Regarding a warning letter delivered on 13th and 23rd February by the Ministry of Information, notifying not to use the term “military junta, military regime, or the military council,” 30 media outlets responded with a statement, entitled “Statement of Independent Media Outlets” on 25th February. The statement stressed that the ministry’s warning undermined press freedom; thus, independent media outlets will continue to publish content and terms by their editorial standards and media ethics. On 2nd March, Myanmar Journalist Network, Lashio Journalist Group, Taunggyi Reporters Association, Myaylatt Journalist Network, Southern Myanmar Journalist Network, Myanmar Journalist Network (Ayeyarwady Region), and Myanmar Women Journalist Association jointly issued a statement. The statement called for the immediate release of journalists; condemned violent crackdowns and arrests, night raids to the journalist residences, and confiscation of journalism equipment, including phones and cameras; seriously denouncing the arbitrary arrests and prosecutions of journalists covering news for the public right to information. Repeated Dark Age of News Media 29