Media Freedom Hero: U Myint Kyaw from Myanmar
Under military rule he experienced censorship and intimidation. Now U Myint Kyaw wants a fresh start. As a trade unionist Press Council member and media trainer he's working to cement the new-found freedoms.
What do you do to support press freedom?
Until the introduction of political reforms, reporters in Myanmar were regularly imprisoned. "Stop Killing Press" was the campaign that we and the Myanmar Journalist Network (MJN) launched to protest this. It started in reaction to the sudden, unfounded arrest of a journalist - we organized a protest march. Did we achieve anything? No demonstrators were arrested. I'd say that’s something…
What motivates you to keep going?
The journalists' network MJN and the Press Council, which I serve on, are still very young institutions and they're not yet well-established. I want to work on that. I'd like to see the Press Council become an arbitration body for disputes related to journalism and media work. Free and independent media are still a new phenomenon in our country - I'd like to help strengthen and protect them.
What does your workplace look like?
My work for the MJN and the Press Council is voluntary. My job is coordinating the journalism training workshops run by the American NGO 'Internews'. In Myanmar there's a major shortage of well-trained journalists. I don't just teach my participants the basic journalism skills, I also talk to them about human rights, such as the right to freedom of expression and the press.
How do you stay up to date?
Now that there's no more censorship and new licenses have been issued for newspapers, Myanmar's media landscape has become much more varied. I buy several newspapers a day. I also read a weekly magazine and I follow the news online. And of course there's social media - in Myanmar, just about everyone is on Facebook.
Where does your inspiration come from?
My wife is also a journalist and she works as a trainer too. We both work hard and time spent with the family is rare. Moments like this one, on Kandawgyi Lake in Yangon, help me to recharge my batteries. And seeing my four-year-old daughter reminds me why I do what I do.