We’ve all heard about Cyclone Nargis, the "Very Severe Cyclonic Storm" that struck Myanmar on May 2, 2008 and killed no less than 78,000 people and sent 58,000 others missing. The international community has been receiving updates on the relief efforts there, but the journalists covering the action there are putting their safety and lives at risk, since the junta governing Burma has banned any reportage of the ongoing efforts. Because of that, reporters’ stories cannot be very extensive lest they run the risk of being caught and detained.

What we need is free press coverage of the ongoing relief efforts in Myanmar. Our journalists shouldn’t have to cover under a cloak. Instead they should be able to freely report news so as not to obstruct the public’s right to be informed of the latest details regarding that international issue.

We need press freedom.

This post serves as my small, silent protest against the Burmese government’s refusal to allow foreign press into the country, as well as its censorship of local press covering the efforts.

This was posted on May 17 by Dean, filed under All Posts and tagged Burma. Trackback