Recruit Participants for "Global Media Camp in Thailand": Report on Myanmar Refugees as a Citizen Journalist
"Global Media Camp in Thailand" is recruiting citizen journalists to report on Myanmar refugees. It focuses on the harsh realities under Myanmar's military rule and the daily lives and challenges faced by refugees in Thailand.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 9, 2026 at 19:48
- 🔍 Collected: May 9, 2026 at 11:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 9, 2026 at 11:08 (6 min after Collected)
Approaching the "Hidden Side" of Thailand
Unfair elections, a civilian government transition in name only. In reality, nothing has changed. Myanmar remains under military rule.
Regarding the Min Aung Hlaing regime, which was formed this April, Myanmar residents in Thailand are unanimously criticizing, saying, "We don't like it. They prolonged the elections for five years just to stay in power. But we will not give up and will continue to resist the (de facto) military government."
Min Aung Hlaing is the mastermind who overthrew the civilian government in the February 2021 military coup (then Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces). As a result of holding a "farce election" that excluded major democratic parties, the pro-military (military-affiliated) parties, as expected, won over 80% of the seats. Along with the birth of the "new government," they began to promote their return to civilian rule both domestically and internationally.
The new pro-military government also released Win Myint, the president of the civilian government before the military coup, who had been detained. Furthermore, it granted amnesty to about 6,000 people as of April 30, including placing Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the democracy movement, under house arrest, desperately trying to project a softened stance.
Nevertheless, the military-led system continues to be a reality. This is because not only the president and members of parliament, but also the two vice presidents and the majority of cabinet members are all pro-military.
Since the military coup, Myanmar refugees have been flocking to Chiang Mai, an ancient city in northern Thailand.
The biggest trigger was the announcement in February 2024 by Myanmar's military government (now a civilian government in name only), which seized power in the military coup, that it would introduce "conscription" for citizens aged 18 and over to compensate for a shortage of soldiers. Young people from Myanmar, fearing being made into soldiers, collectively fled to neighboring Thailand.
However, Chiang Mai has historically had deep ties with Myanmar, especially with Shan State. Many "long-term Myanmar residents" who lived there before the military coup are not uncommon. The majority of them are Shan people. There are also Mon and Lisu people. What's unique is that when asked, "Are you Myanmar?" they respond, "No, I am Shan (ethnic group)."
Some long-term Myanmar residents reportedly do not understand the Myanmar language (Burmese). They speak Shan and Thai. Sometimes, conversations between long-term Myanmar residents and new arrivals can only happen in broken language. It's quite complex, even among compatriots.
Approximately 7 million Myanmar people (immigrants and refugees) are said to live throughout Thailand (roughly the same population as Laos or Saitama Prefecture). Places with many Myanmar people are not limited to the capital Bangkok, Mae Sot on the border with Myanmar, and the fishing town of Maha Chai.
Thailand, the Land of Smiles, and the beautiful ancient city of Chiang Mai. If trekking tours and elephant camps are the "bright side," there is also a "dark side" that is never seen by simply visiting. One of these is the reality of Myanmar immigrants and refugees surviving in Thai society. For Japanese people, it is quite difficult even to distinguish between Thais and Myanmars.
Understanding the Reality of Refugees
Big news in the Myanmar community in Thailand right now is the case of a 27-year-old Myanmar man who was brutally tortured by his Chinese employer in Rayong Province, eastern Thailand.
This man was from Kachin State in northern Myanmar. He had only been in Thailand for two months.
He was lured out by a Chinese female broker under the pretext of receiving unpaid wages. However, he was taken to a restaurant. There, he was beaten with a golf club, scalded with hot water, and had his nails almost peeled off by six people (five of whom were Chinese) waiting for him.
He managed to escape to a nearby forest but suffered serious injuries. Three of the perpetrators were caught. It appears that online fraud organizations may also be involved.
The risks of staying in Thailand as an immigrant or refugee are not small. The above case involved Chinese people, but Thai police officers call Myanmar people "walking ATMs." This means they can stop Myanmar people on the street, question them, and fine them anytime they want money.
Another hot topic is that "exiled media" from Myanmar, where there is no freedom of the press, are facing bankruptcy. It is said that there are dozens of exiled media outlets in Thailand, including some with only a few journalists, but some have actually gone bankrupt. Journalists are losing their jobs. One major reason is that support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has stopped.
Myanmar people live in a foreign land with economic and psychological anxieties. What do they think, and how do they make a living? Becoming a "citizen journalist" means delving into these "unseen aspects." This is the way.
Unfair elections, a civilian government transition in name only. In reality, nothing has changed. Myanmar remains under military rule.
Regarding the Min Aung Hlaing regime, which was formed this April, Myanmar residents in Thailand are unanimously criticizing, saying, "We don't like it. They prolonged the elections for five years just to stay in power. But we will not give up and will continue to resist the (de facto) military government."
Min Aung Hlaing is the mastermind who overthrew the civilian government in the February 2021 military coup (then Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces). As a result of holding a "farce election" that excluded major democratic parties, the pro-military (military-affiliated) parties, as expected, won over 80% of the seats. Along with the birth of the "new government," they began to promote their return to civilian rule both domestically and internationally.
The new pro-military government also released Win Myint, the president of the civilian government before the military coup, who had been detained. Furthermore, it granted amnesty to about 6,000 people as of April 30, including placing Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the democracy movement, under house arrest, desperately trying to project a softened stance.
Nevertheless, the military-led system continues to be a reality. This is because not only the president and members of parliament, but also the two vice presidents and the majority of cabinet members are all pro-military.
Since the military coup, Myanmar refugees have been flocking to Chiang Mai, an ancient city in northern Thailand.
The biggest trigger was the announcement in February 2024 by Myanmar's military government (now a civilian government in name only), which seized power in the military coup, that it would introduce "conscription" for citizens aged 18 and over to compensate for a shortage of soldiers. Young people from Myanmar, fearing being made into soldiers, collectively fled to neighboring Thailand.
However, Chiang Mai has historically had deep ties with Myanmar, especially with Shan State. Many "long-term Myanmar residents" who lived there before the military coup are not uncommon. The majority of them are Shan people. There are also Mon and Lisu people. What's unique is that when asked, "Are you Myanmar?" they respond, "No, I am Shan (ethnic group)."
Some long-term Myanmar residents reportedly do not understand the Myanmar language (Burmese). They speak Shan and Thai. Sometimes, conversations between long-term Myanmar residents and new arrivals can only happen in broken language. It's quite complex, even among compatriots.
Approximately 7 million Myanmar people (immigrants and refugees) are said to live throughout Thailand (roughly the same population as Laos or Saitama Prefecture). Places with many Myanmar people are not limited to the capital Bangkok, Mae Sot on the border with Myanmar, and the fishing town of Maha Chai.
Thailand, the Land of Smiles, and the beautiful ancient city of Chiang Mai. If trekking tours and elephant camps are the "bright side," there is also a "dark side" that is never seen by simply visiting. One of these is the reality of Myanmar immigrants and refugees surviving in Thai society. For Japanese people, it is quite difficult even to distinguish between Thais and Myanmars.
Understanding the Reality of Refugees
Big news in the Myanmar community in Thailand right now is the case of a 27-year-old Myanmar man who was brutally tortured by his Chinese employer in Rayong Province, eastern Thailand.
This man was from Kachin State in northern Myanmar. He had only been in Thailand for two months.
He was lured out by a Chinese female broker under the pretext of receiving unpaid wages. However, he was taken to a restaurant. There, he was beaten with a golf club, scalded with hot water, and had his nails almost peeled off by six people (five of whom were Chinese) waiting for him.
He managed to escape to a nearby forest but suffered serious injuries. Three of the perpetrators were caught. It appears that online fraud organizations may also be involved.
The risks of staying in Thailand as an immigrant or refugee are not small. The above case involved Chinese people, but Thai police officers call Myanmar people "walking ATMs." This means they can stop Myanmar people on the street, question them, and fine them anytime they want money.
Another hot topic is that "exiled media" from Myanmar, where there is no freedom of the press, are facing bankruptcy. It is said that there are dozens of exiled media outlets in Thailand, including some with only a few journalists, but some have actually gone bankrupt. Journalists are losing their jobs. One major reason is that support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has stopped.
Myanmar people live in a foreign land with economic and psychological anxieties. What do they think, and how do they make a living? Becoming a "citizen journalist" means delving into these "unseen aspects." This is the way.