A month ago, SPJ Rio Grande put out the call for any and all to donate to our fundraiser to support journalists in Myanmar. To sweeten the pot, the chapter offered to pony up $1,000 in matching funds to whatever was raised.
Well, all y’all responded vigorously and donated more than $1,400 for journalists in Myanmar! When you add in our group’s $1,000 matching donation, that makes a total of $2,400 to support journalists who desperately need the help.
The first payment of $1,000 went to journalists at Dakkhina Insight, an online group in Dawei, who are using the money to fund day-to-day operations. As you can see from their Facebook page, they still have an Internet connection and are regularly publishing local(!) news from their city.
As you read this, the second tranche of money is winging its way through the international banking system to our contact in Myanmar. That person will use the cash to fund safehouses for journalists on the run in Yangon, the country’s largest city and site of so much violence.
Many journalists have fled the country, but many more can’t as borders are closed because of COVID-19. Also, neighboring governments are themselves dictatorial and friendly with the Myanmar military.
Despite violent reactions, public protests continue. And in recent weeks there have been violent protests and guerilla attacks against military and police installations around the country. Many local journalists are still quietly reporting and posting information, mostly to Facebook.
To recap: on February 1, the Myanmar military staged a coup against the country’s nominally civilian government. At first, millions of Burmese people protested daily – without weapons. But the military junta slowly increased their violent responses, until most large protests stopped. From the beginning, local journalists reported all that they witnessed.
To date, the military has killed more than 800 civilians and arrested and imprisoned thousands. The military has specifically targeted journalists, and hundreds have been arrested, beaten, imprisoned, and tortured. The government has been televising arrest warrants for individual journalists.
The situation is dire, and it’s not at all clear what the future holds for the people of Myanmar. But these donations from SPJ do help. And if you haven’t had a chance to give, you still can! All money goes to help journalists still in the country. Aside from (very nominal 2%) banking fees, all of your donations end up helping in Myanmar.
Extra-special thanks for this project goes to SPJ Rio Grande past President Karen Coates, who taught journalism seminars in Myanmar over several years. Her contacts there make this possible. And here you can watch a quick video done with SPJ International talking about this project, and why she and I both are such strong advocates for international reporting.
Thanks, and remember – you can still donate!
