Media group urges further Myanmar reform
2013-01-17 11:56
Washington - Myanmar should repeal laws and develop a code of conduct for
journalists to ensure further progress amid an opening in the country's
long-closed media, Reporters Without Borders said.
The Paris-based media rights group was allowed to visit Myanmar for the
first time as the nation formerly known as Burma undertakes major reforms,
which have included an end to direct censorship by the government.
In a report, Reporters Without Borders said that no journalists or bloggers
remained in Myanmar's prisons and that the reforms were initially seen as a
"breath of fresh air" for private media.
"Confident that they could be a lot more outspoken, they tried to
publish articles critical of the authorities but quickly discovered that the
government's red lines had not retreated as much as they had imagined,"
said the report, released early Thursday in Paris.
Authorities in August issued "guidelines" to journalists, such as
not writing critically about the government. Reporters Without Borders said
that Myo Mying Maung, director of the once-feared censorship bureau, told the
group that the guidelines were "just suggestions", despite
journalists' misgivings.
Call for action
Reporters Without Borders called for Myanmar's government to affirm its
commitment to freedom of information by moving to repeal "repressive"
media laws that remain on the books and to dismantle the information ministry.
The group also called for Myanmar to overhaul state-owned media and provide
access to government institutions for all journalists.
Myanmar's new Press Council should draft laws and a code of conduct that
protect reporters and conform to international standards, while journalists
should take care to cover the country's diverse ethnic groups, the report said.
President Thein Sein launched a string of reforms after taking office as a
nominal civilian in 2011, including allowing once-detained opposition icon Aung
San Suu Kyi to take a seat in parliament.
Reporters Without Borders, quoting Myanmar Independent editor Ma Thida, said
there were more than 300 newspapers in Myanmar but that only about 30 of them
"cover the news".
- SAPA
