Mizzima News was established in August 1998 in New Delhi, India, by a group of Burmese journalists living in exile. Its co-founders, Soe Myint and
Thin Thin Aung, were veterans of the
1988 pro-democracy uprising who had fled the subsequent military crackdown. The name "Mizzima" is derived from the Pali word for "middle" or "moderate". For nearly 15 years, Mizzima operated from exile, with offices in India and later a liaison office in
Chiang Mai, Thailand, becoming a vital link for information flowing out of the otherwise isolated nation. After political and economic reforms,
Mizzima became the first exiled media organization to officially register and open an office in
Yangon. During this period of
semi-democratic rule, the outlet expanded significantly, launching a daily digital newspaper in Burmese, a weekly business magazine in English, and producing television programs broadcast on the state-run
MRTV. After the
2021 Myanmar coup d'état, military junta revoked the operating licenses of Mizzima, and four other media outlets, namely
Myanmar Now,
Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB),
Khit Thit Media, and
7Day News, amidst the
ongoing protests. The organization's offices in Yangon were raided, and some of its staff were arrested. The co-founder
Thin Thin Aung was arrested on April 8, 2021. The
junta charged her under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code for “causing fear” and “spreading false news,” charges widely regarded as politically motivated to silence dissent. Mizzima had to stop working in public, so it went back to being an underground and exile-based media outlet. The organization's leaders, including Soe Myint, showed amazing strength by leaving Yangon and setting up shop again in border areas and outside the country. == Awards ==