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Following the February 2021 coup and the military’s re-assertion of control over the national government, conditions for free expression in Myanmar further deteriorated and have remained extremely limited. Writers and other creative artists have played a key role in supporting the countrywide civil disobedience movement against military rule. Restrictive laws, many dating from the colonial period, are regularly used to jail writers and cultural figures, alongside journalists and publishers. The oppression by the military junta, coupled with fighting between the military and its many opposition forces, have continued to result in ongoing violence and a further erosion of human rights.

A group of protesters, many wearing masks, hold signs opposing a military coup as part of global advocacy. One woman in the foreground raises a red sign with a crossed-out gun and the words “Stop Dictatorship.” Other protest signs are visible behind her.

What You Need to Know

Writers are targeted and detained for spurious national security crimes such as “incitement” and “treason.”

While some writers have been released from prison in mass amnesties, others continue to serve extremely long prison terms, keeping Myanmar among the world’s top jailers of writers in the Freedom To Write Index.

At risk of arrest and detention, hundreds of writers, artists, activists, and public intellectuals operate in hiding within Myanmar or have fled into exile.

News

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Individual Cases

  • A woman with short, curly dark hair and glasses smiles at the camera. She is wearing a light-colored top and a patterned scarf. The background is a plain, light-colored curtain.

    Ma Thida

    Status:

    Human rights activist, surgeon, and writer Ma Thida was sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges of endangering public… More

  • Zarganar

    Status:

    On April 6, 2021, comedian Zarganar was arrested by the military junta in a broader campaign against cultural figures following… More

  • A man in a black striped shirt sits at a desk with papers, wearing earphones and looking up at the camera. Office furniture, a printer, and a green basket are in the background.

    Kyaw Soe Oo

    Status:

    Reuters reporter Kyaw Soe Oo was a 2018 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award honoree. He was arrested in December 2017… More

  • Wai Moe Naing

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    A writer and member of PEN Myanmar, Wai Moe Naing rose to prominence as an anti-coup protest leader in Monywa… More

  • A man wearing glasses and a checkered shirt sits at a desk with a computer, looking toward the camera with one hand raised. Office items and a printer are visible in the background, suggesting work related to PEN America or Global Press Freedom Advocacy Institute.

    Wa Lone

    Status:

    Reuters reporter Wa Lone was a 2018 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award Honoree. He was arrested in December 2017 with… More

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A dynamic, sepia-toned drawing shows a crowd of people with raised fists, their faces expressive with anger or determination, as they appear to shout or protest together in unison.
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Spring Diary

The authors of Myanmar Spring Diary, a poignant collection of 10 short stories and 12 poems, reflect on the countless acts of courage and tragic losses in the wake of the 2021 military coup, and pay tribute to the Spring Revolution heroes. Their stories and poems are set against the backdrop of Myanmar’s 10 year experiment with quasi-democracy, as well as the previous five decades of military rule. The poems were written in Myanmar’s languages and have been translated into English for the first time. 

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