The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) will honor jailed photojournalist Sai Zaw Thaike of the independent news agency Myanmar Now with its prestigious 2026 International Press Freedom Award (IPFA).
The 36th annual IPFA ceremony and benefit dinner will take place in New York City on Nov. 19.
The gala event will be chaired by Cesar Conde, chairman of the NBCUniversal News Group, and master of ceremonies duties will be handled by Lulu Garcia-Navarro, The New York Times journalist, co-host of “The Interview” podcast, and CNN contributor.
Arrest, Record Sentence, and Prison Abuse
Sai Zaw Thaike was arrested by military authorities on May 23, 2023, while reporting on the ground in Sittwe, Arakan State, documenting the devastation and casualties among the Rohingya minority following Cyclone Mocha.
- 20-Year Sentence: In September 2023, a closed military tribunal sentenced him to 20 years in prison with hard labor in Yangon’s Insein Prison. The judgment represents one of the longest journalism-related sentences handed down in Myanmar since the February 2021 military coup.
- Retaliatory Torture: Reports indicate that Sai Zaw Thaike has been subjected to systemic physical abuse and retaliatory torture inside Insein Prison. The mistreatment escalated after he and two fellow political prisoners informed visiting representatives of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission about guard-led human rights violations.
- Denial of Medical Treatment: Military prison authorities have repeatedly denied him necessary medical care for severe kidney disease and hemorrhoids requiring surgical intervention, providing only basic oral medication.
Press Freedom Landscape in Myanmar
In CPJ’s 2025 Prison Census, Myanmar was ranked as the world’s second-worst jailer of journalists, with at least 30 media workers documented in detention. Since seizing power in 2021, the regime has systematically banned independent media outlets, revoked licenses, and forced scores of reporters into exile or underground operations.
“CPJ is honoring Sai Zaw Thaike to draw global attention to the plight of Myanmar’s journalists who have been wrongfully jailed, harassed, and driven into exile since the 2021 military coup,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative.
“Through lawfare and bogus security charges, the junta has jailed scores of reporters in a bid to erase years of pre-coup press freedom gains. Sai Zaw Thaike is the brave face of Myanmar’s independent media, which continues to report the news in defiance of that repression.”
Sai Zaw Thaike’s recognition by the CPJ follows his receipt of the Courage Prize from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in June 2026, underscoring international calls from press freedom and human rights organizations for his immediate, unconditional release and urgent medical treatment.
