For millions in Myanmar, VOA is a voice of hope during coups and democratic resistance

At the beginning of 2025, Voice of America was regularly reaching a significant audience in Myanmar — 17.9% of adults, or 7.3 million people each week. It was doing so mostly through its Burmese Service, broadcasting in the country’s primary language.

At the time, the service was a vibrant, round-the-clock operation, broadcasting more than 180 hours of audio and video reports each week. It attracted record engagement after the 2021 military coup as audiences sought out independent, fact-based news. However, since President Donald Trump issued his March 14 executive order that effectively began dismantling VOA, the service has gone silent.

Since its launch in 1943, the VOA Burmese Service has been a trusted and independent voice for the people of Myanmar. Through decades of dictatorship, censorship and conflict in the country, VOA journalists have risked their lives to deliver accurate, balanced reporting. From the 1988 democracy uprising to the current fight against military rule, VOA Burmese has provided vital coverage that connected Myanmar’s people with the world — proving that truth can survive, even under repression.

Following the 2021 military coup, VOA and its sister network Radio Free Asia launched a 24-hour digital TV channel, Ludu Meitswe or Friend of the People, to ensure continuous Burmese-language news and analysis. After seizing control in the coup, the junta arrested dozens of journalists, revoked broadcasting licenses and imposed restrictions that left the population with fewer sources to provide accurate updates on their safety, the conflict and political developments. Those who turn to VOA for their information say they have a 96% level of trust about its content, according to survey data from VOA’s parent organization, the U.S. Agency for Global Media.

The Burmese Service has a long history of chronicling major developments in Myanmar, including the 1962 coup, various pro-democracy uprisings, the 2007 monk-led Saffron Revolution, and the 2017 killing and mass displacement of the Muslim Rohingya.

For decades, the service covered Aung San Suu Kyi, a key figure in Myanmar’s democracy movement, including interviews with her during years of house arrest. To commemorate VOA’s 70th anniversary in 2012, Suu Kyi recorded a video, saying the anniversary “is like the birthday of a friend, because the VOA and other broadcasting stations were the friends that kept me company during my long years of house arrest.”

The Nobel laureate is currently in detention after being arrested during the 2021 coup. Her son, Kim Aris, told the SaveVOA campaign in April, “For decades, media outlets like VOA and RFA have been lifelines.”

In addition to being one of only a few independent outlets broadcasting in the Burmese language, VOA provided a uniquely American perspective. In 2025, the service covered Trump’s inauguration through special programs that highlighted his policies and priorities. It provided live coverage of the funeral of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, including live streams, interviews with attendees and analysis of Carter’s legacy, highlighting how the United States honors its democratically-elected leaders and traditions.

In VOA’s absence, its audience has largely turned to Facebook, Telegram channels or local media reporting from exile. Others rely on state-controlled media from China, which has expanded its Burmese-language content. Two Chinese state media outlets, Xinhua News Agency and China Radio International (CRI), now regularly provide reports in the Burmese language, promoting China’s policies and initiatives.

As the people of Myanmar continue their struggle for democracy and truth, the need for VOA Burmese has never been greater.