On Monday, Myanmar’s military launched yet another brutal attack—this time targeting a school. A fighter jet bombed a school operated by pro-democracy forces in Oe Htein Kwin village in Sagaing Region’s Tabayin Township, killing at least 20 children and two teachers. Over 50 others were reportedly injured in the strike on a region under rebel control.
State-run media was quick to deflect blame, claiming the military had no role in the bombing and accusing “illegal anti-government media outlets” of spreading false information. But the evidence—and the pattern—suggest otherwise.
Since the military coup in February 2021, Myanmar has spiralled into one of the most violent and underreported conflicts in the world. Known now as the forgotten war, the crisis has not only received limited international support but has also been sidelined by global media. And as silence deepens around Myanmar’s suffering, India—particularly the northeastern state of Mizoram—holds a unique and powerful position. It could be a bridge for truth, or a wall that seals it off.
Media Blackout, by Design
Getting news out of Myanmar has become a dangerous and near-impossible task. In March 2025, the junta announced sweeping restrictions on foreign journalists. “It is not possible for [foreign journalists] to come, stay, find shelter, or move around here. We want everyone to understand this,” said a military spokesperson, as reported by NDTV.
International media scrambled to cover a deadly earthquake earlier this year that killed at least 3,700 people and injured over 5,000. Most reporters flew into Bangkok, hoping to enter Myanmar through alternative routes. But access was almost entirely shut down.
Local media hasn’t fared any better. Since the coup, Myanmar’s military has relentlessly targeted independent outlets—revoking licences, jailing hundreds of journalists, and silencing dissent with threats, imprisonment, and death. In January, the junta passed a cybersecurity law banning VPN use. In 2024 alone, Myanmar had the highest number of internet shutdowns globally, with 85 blackouts—most imposed by military authorities, according to digital rights group Access Now.
The crackdown on information has forced many journalists into exile. But their reach is limited, their platforms fewer, and their access to global news networks shrinking.
When Free Press loses funding
Compounding this crisis was a quiet but devastating policy shift in the United States. In January, the Trump administration—under the leadership of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—began dismantling the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This move froze more than $268 million in funding for independent media across 30+ countries, including Myanmar.
By February, The Guardian described the freeze as creating an “existential crisis” for Myanmar’s exiled journalists. In March, cuts deepened with the White House scaling back the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees crucial platforms like Voice of America and Radio Free Asia—lifelines of information on Myanmar.
A ray of hope through Mizoram
Despite the clampdowns, one fragile route into Myanmar’s story remained open—through India’s border state of Mizoram.
Local journalists in Mizoram have become vital collaborators for international media crews seeking access and understanding. One of them, Isaac Zoramsanga, has assisted teams from the BBC, The New York Times, NHK Japan, The Telegraph, and the Associated Press. But that trickle of access may be drying up.
“There haven’t been any international journalists visiting recently,” Zoramsanga told EastMojo. “I’m unsure if it’s because of the PAP.”
He is referring to the Protected Area Permit (PAP) regime. In 2011, the Indian government relaxed the PAP requirement for Mizoram, Manipur, and Nagaland to encourage tourism—exempting all foreigners except nationals from Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan. The permit was valid through December 2027.
But in December last year, citing security concerns over increased cross-border movement and alleged foreign involvement in pro-democracy resistance training, India’s Ministry of Home Affairs reimposed the PAP across the region. The move has also created barriers for journalists hoping to use Mizoram as an entry point to cover Myanmar.
Recently, Belgian conflict journalist Simon Clement was detained at Lengpui Airport for carrying two spent bullet casings—souvenirs from the Myanmar border. Clement stressed the importance of covering the conflict in Myanmar in an interview with EastMojo. He said, “It takes an earthquake to remind people what is happening in Myanmar. And that should not be the case,” he told EastMojo. “A war should not be forgotten. To end the fighting, we must raise awareness and start the conversation.”
India’s responsibility at the Border
Clement is right. With much of the international media sidelined and local journalists imprisoned or in hiding, what remains of Myanmar’s story now lies in the hands of those who can still bear witness—and that includes India.
The border state of Mizoram has become a rare listening post, a fragile funnel through which Myanmar’s war-torn reality trickles out. But India’s tightening grip—through PAP restrictions and border control—risks choking off even that.
If India continues down this path, it won’t just be closing its borders—it will be closing the world’s eyes to a brutal conflict unfolding next door. Myanmar’s people are not asking for much—just that their voices be heard, their stories told, and their suffering not ignored.
The question is: will India help amplify them, or help silence them?
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