Journalists and media groups from around the world attended the IPI World Conference and Assembly, entitled “On the Path to a Free Media”, in Rangoon from March 27-28th.
Burmese media representatives decided not to participate in the congress for reasons that are their right to have, according to Mizzima Editor-in-Chief U Soe Myint.
“Such [a] boycott by the media groups, it is their right to do this, but this congress is not a government [led congress]. At this congress, among those who have speeches included representatives from the government and representatives from the National League for Democracy (NLD). It is [a space] where representatives from media groups [can] have discussions,” said U Soe Myint, who planned the IPI World Congress in Rangoon.
According to U Soe Myint, the IPI World Congress in Rangoon facilitated discussions concerning media-related topics. The three day congress included discussion on the topics of media freedom in Burma and the media sector in upcoming elections.
According to the Myanmar Journalist Network (MJN), Burmese journalists boycotted the congress, and refused to present at the congress, due to the arrest and detention of journalists by Burmese authorities.
MJN General Secretary U Myint Kyaw posted on his Facebook page that, “It is announced for local reporters and journalists to boycott, and not present, at the IPI Congress and Assembly, where the Minister of Information is to attend from March 27-19th. This is not to boycott the IPI, but not to work along with the Minister of Information.”
“The matter of arresting journalists is the responsibility of the President and Minister of Information. If the Minister [of Information] did not attend [the congress], we would attend. We boycotted and did not participate because they [the Minister and government representatives] would attend, since they are the people in charge,” said Ko Nyan Soe Lin, coordinator of the South Myanmar Journalist Network (SMJN).
Editors of the Burma News International also chose not to present at the IPI Congress and Assembly.
This year’s IPI Congress and Assembly included attendance by well-known internationals and senior journalists from international news media groups, including Nobel Prize winner Dr. Muhammad Yunus, UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression David Kaye, publisher and chief executive of the Los Angeles Times Austin Beutner, the Global Post’s Charlie Sennott, CNN’s Jim Clancy, as well as Burma’s Minister of Information U Ye Htut.
Panel discussions were held on the model of the newspaper sector, freedom in the editor sector, investigative journalism, the challenge of reporting during conflict and crisis in accordance with codes of ethics, hate speech, and the improvement of news education for the benefit of the public and the world.
The IPI, founded in 1950, is one of the most well-known and longest-running groups for media freedom; the institute has more than 100 member countries.
