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Cómo pueden ayudar los periodistas de Myanmar a construir una democracia federal [1]
['The Irrawaddy']
Date: 2024-02-12
Este artículo se publicó originalmente en The Irrawaddy, sitio web de noticias independiente de Myanmar. Esta versión editada se reproduce en Global Voices como parte de un acuerdo para compartir contenido.
Desde el golpe de Estado de 2021, han proliferados las «noticias falsas» en Myanmar. Los grupos de medios independientes combaten las «noticias falsas» con emisiones diarias y dando a conocer a la comunidad sobre el periodismo.
The Shan Herald Agency for News lleva más de 33 años cubriendo el estado de Shan, e instando al público a denunciar las violaciones de los derechos humanos y la opresión.
The Irrawaddy entrevistó al editor en jefe de la agencia Shan Herald, Sai Muanng, sobre el papel de los medios independientes en la transformación de Myanmar en una democracia federal.
Afirmó que, a pesar de las amenazas de la Junta y otros grupos armados, Shan Herald sigue comprometido con la recopilación de noticias.
The Irrawaddy (TI): ¿Qué dificultades enfrentan?
Sai Muang (SM): In 2013, former president Thein Sein invited everyone to return because of political reforms [after years of crackdowns on independent media], so we registered the Shan Herald Agency for News in Yangon to establish our office in Taunggyi.
On Shan National Day in February 2021 we were planning to start construction of an office in Taunggyi with the support of the Shan public. But it fell apart because of the coup that month.
We halted our monthly magazine, moved journalists back to the border and could not work freely. Our staff faced accusations under Articles 505 and 66(d), restricting our freedom to work. Even using phrases like the “military council” or “military” is problematic.
We were self-sufficient even without a donor, but now we rely on donors. Some donors are more supportive of the larger media groups, mostly based in the big cities. Support for the state-based media is weak.
There is a misconception that we are just a Shan media group with no national coverage. But we are a national media group based in Shan State.
Traveling and recording and obtaining information have become extremely difficult since the coup. We now have to work without leaving a trace. These are the challenges our reporters face.
Another difficulty is that some sources from the political parties and the authorities want to give us information but they often don’t want to be named, show their faces or use their voices.
The Shan Herald also preserves our traditional literature and culture. If we didn’t publish in the Shan language, there would not be much material for linguistic reference.
We record daily events in the Shan language. We will not stop no matter how difficult it is. We are fully committed to this work. This cannot be stopped. We record the events happening in Shan State and elsewhere in the country in Shan, Burmese and English.
Raising awareness about the value of press freedom is crucial amid the spread of “fake news”. A majority of Shan people are highly supportive and state their opinions honestly without any hidden purpose. But the general Shan public struggles to tell the difference between accurate information and “fake news”.
So our mission includes educating the Shan people about journalism.
Further complicating our work, the nationwide conflict has sparked conflicts not only with the junta but also among other armed groups in Shan State. This internal strife poses extreme challenges to our journalistic work.
If we coexist together like during the federated Shan states in the past, it would be ideal for us to do our job. Currently there is too much opposition.
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