Reporting on Peace and Conflict: Enhancing People’s Voice and Accountability
Reporting on Peace and Conflict: Enhancing People’s Voice and Accountability
by DIPD on January 3, 2017
In its first eight months, the newly elected government of Myanmar and the State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi has made the peace process its top priority and invited more of the country’s ethnic armed groups to join new talks. Still, fighting has continued in the country and in some places grown considerably worse.
Shan State is one of those states, which has experienced growing instability and political unrest over the past few months including the recent fighting between the country’s army and northern alliance group members. In Shan State, the press freedom is becoming a threat and the media and reporters are frightened off to do the reporting on peace process and ongoing conflict situations in the area.
To respond to the emerging need to promote the importance of press freedom and better reflect ways to enhance people’s voice and accountability in peace and conflict, DIPD’s Myanmar Multiparty Democracy Programme in partnership with Myanmar Press Council held a regional dialogue seminar on “Reporting on Peace and Conflict: Enhancing People’s Voice and Accountability” on 15-16 December in Taunggyi, Shan State. The dialogue seminar was also an opportunity for parties and the media to identify challenges in reporting on the peace process and ongoing conflict, and develop solutions to address those challenges.
“One should remind yourselves with A, I, R (Accuracy, Impartiality, Responsibility) when reporting for security. Next, avoid in reporting about conflict by glancing and picking the headlines from online and social media. Media can prevent conflict situation by going and taking news to the ground”, presented by U Thiha Saw, General secretary of Myanmar Press Council in the section of media ethic in reporting on peace process and conflict situation. The participants discussed the challenges and security of news sources, public, journalists and political parties’ coordination on reporting process.
“To enhance the public voice, there should be mutual trust and respect between political parties. By cooperating political parties and media can effectively help in accountable reporting of real management conflict situations”, reflected by U Myint Kyaw, members of Myanmar Press Media Council Committee. Total of 39 participants from 15 political parties and 16 media from Shan State attended during the two-day dialogue seminar.
More information
Contact DIPD’s Myanmar Country Coordinator, Khin Thazin Myint: ktzm@dipd.dk
Contact Senior Advisor at DIPD, Hanne Lund Madsen: hlm@dipd.dk
From: Myanmar, News and updates, Previous events