Participants to the Ethnic Media Conference (EMC) unanimously condemns the role of the “Myanmar Media Council” under the military council as the council does not represent independent Myanmar media, according to the statement released by the 8th EMC organized by the Burma News International (BNI) near the border area for three days in the last week of April.
Nan Pawt Gay, Spokesperson of the conference said: “The military council’s Myanmar Media Council doesn’t represent all independent media in Myanmar. We regard the media council as a pillar of the military council.”
The participants to the conference agreed to establish an independent self-regulatory body to guide independent Myanmar media and formed a working group for the establishment of this body.
Journalists criticized that the media council formed by the military council following the coup cannot help support freedom of press and freedom of news production. It is just a nominal.
U Ye Ni, Myanmar-language editor of the Irrawaddy said: “On the World Press Freedom Day, there is no media freedom in Myanmar based on the situations in Myanmar.”
May 3 is the World Press Freedom Day. Journalists said they face many difficulties in their works due to the military council’s targeted crackdowns on journalists following the coup. Their news coverage faces many challenges due to the military council’s threats to news sources.
The conference recognized the news production of journalists and media agencies amid the security and survival risks following the coup, according to the statement.
Ko Wunna Khwar Nyo, Chief Editor of the Arakan-based Western News said: “Following the coup, the survival of reporters and media is worse. The military council arrests and kills journalists. So, journalists have gone into hiding. Some journalists don’t dare to cover the news due to a lack of security guarantee.”
Since the military coup in Myanmar on 1 February, 2021, the military detained 156 journalists. Of them, four journalists were killed. Among over 2,100 prisoners who were released under an amnesty on March 3, are five journalists.
Sent by Aung Htein (DMG)