Media freedom organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and independent Myanmar news agency Mizzima have launched “Voice of Independent Myanmar (VIM),” a shortwave radio broadcast designed to penetrate military censorship, digital surveillance, and internet blackouts across Myanmar.
The initiative launched on Aug. 9 coinciding with Mizzima’s 28th anniversary. The 60-minute program will air every Sunday and provide local and international news, human rights analysis, as well as practical safety tips, for conflict-affected communities. It will also counter military disinformation.
Broadcast schedule and frequency specifications
| Specification | Technical Details |
| Launch Date | Aug. 9, 2026 (Mizzima’s 28th Anniversary) |
| Airtime | Weekly (Sundays) 7-8 am (MM standard time) |
| Shortwave Frequency | 17665 kHz (16-meter band) |
| Estimated Weekly Reach | 500,000 to 2,000,000 listeners (up to 4,000,000 during major crises) |
| Digital Amplification | Cross-posted to Mizzima’s socials (21M Facebook followers / 3M YouTube subscribers) |
Climbing over the digital firewall
Unlike cellular networks and fiber-optic internet infrastructure—which the military regime frequently shuts down to create localized “news black holes”—shortwave radio signals cross international borders without relying on domestic telecommunications infrastructure.
“This radio broadcast, which is freely accessible to anyone equipped with a shortwave receiver and can’t be blocked or jammed on a wide scale, will allow the Myanmar public to once again access independent news despite the junta’s censorship, internet blackouts and digital surveillance, and the growing influence of propaganda narratives from other countries in the region — particularly from China,” said Cédric Alviani, the Director of RSF Asia-Pacific Bureau.
Accessible through inexpensive, battery-powered radio receivers, shortwave signals are extremely difficult to jam on a regional scale, offering a secure information pipeline for rural populations, people living in conflict-affected communities, and displaced persons across Myanmar.
“For decades, shortwave radio has been a vital lifeline for the people of Myanmar, providing access to trusted information even in the country’s most remote and conflict-affected areas… Launching this initiative as Mizzima marks its 28th anniversary makes this moment particularly significant, reaffirming our long-standing commitment to independent journalism and to serving the people of Myanmar,” said Soe Myint, the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Mizzima.
Context: Press Freedom Crisis in Myanmar
The initiative builds on RSF’s global anti-censorship strategy, modeled after a similar shortwave broadcast network deployed in Iran in April 2026. Beyond funding support, RSF will supply specialized programming focused on press freedom monitoring and counteracting regional propaganda networks.
Myanmar Media Freedom(RSF 2026 World Press Freedom Index)
├── World Press Freedom Ranking: 166th out of 180 countries
├── Global Jailer Rank: 3rd largest jailer of journalists (behind China & Russia)
├── Journalist Arrests: 200+ reporters detained since 2021 coup
├── Current Media Detainees: At least 39 journalists remain behind bars
└── Revoked Outlets: At least 15 independent media licenses revoked
Since the Feb. 1, 2021 coup, the regime has systematically dismantled Myanmar’s domestic press freedom through physical violence, legal prosecution, revoked licenses, and recurring digital blackouts. The shortwave broadcast restores a direct broadcast link between exiled newsrooms and communities inside the country impacted by five years of civil war.
