Ethnic Media Conference urges law on right to information

19 Sep 2019

Khin Tharaphy Oo | DMG
September 19, Sittwe

The 7th Ethnic Media Conference issued a statement calling for the drafting of a law on the right to information for journalists at a three-day conference in Myitkyina, Kachin State.

Daw Nan Paw Gay, chairperson of the Ethnic Media Policy Affairs Committee of Burma News International (BNI), said it was important for media agencies to be able to get information as soon as possible, and news will be more valuable if it was reported on time.
 
“When the news is produced, it shouldn’t be late and needs to be disseminated to readers as early as possible. Everywhere in Myanmar things are delayed. We haven’t had any policy for that (right to information),” she said, adding that having a law on right to information will ensure news is released quickly.

The conference asked for six items including to give technical and financial assistance to ethnic media outlets, and to ratify the right to information law.

“Some news agencies have shut down because they don’t have enough support,” Daw Nan Paw Gay said.

One of the six issues raised at the conference was to have the right to visit any voting station in the upcoming 2020 election if the journalists have a media ID card.

Daw Nan Paw Gay said that ethnic media groups assumed that the government was aware of their requests, and the response would depend on the government.

The 1st Ethnic Media Conference was held in 2013 in Mon State, and annual conferences have since been held in Shan, Chin, Arakan, Kayah and Kayin states.

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