For Myanmar editor, true democracy needs critical press
For democracy to work, a healthy fourth estate should be in place, the editor-in-chief of a publication in Myanmar said.
Ko Swe Win, editorin-chief of online news outlet Myanmar Now and the 2019 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Emergent Leadership, told The STAR on Thursday that strong reportage is needed amid trying times for the press.
He should know. Swe Win was the subject of harassment by the Myanmar government after he was jailed for writing a story critical of Buddhist monk Ashin Wirathu’s
campaign for hate speech on social media site Facebook. In 1998, he was also arrested for participating in a student demonstration and distributing anti-government propaganda materials.
Swe Win said critical reporting is essential for a working democracy.
At the risk of being sued and jailed under Myanmar’s “hybrid regime,” Swe Win and his group of journalists continue to pursue sensitive human rights topics such as land grabbing, violence against women and children, harassment in jails and killings.
He admitted that they work “in a state of fear” and are extra careful on the facts of the stories they run.
“Our stories may go wrong. Okay, we should face the punishment. No problem. But if we do not have laws, how can we write? If your story is correct, somebody can sue you anytime (but their cases will be for naught),” Swe Win said.
“So from my experience, a healthy political system, which means democracy and liberty, is very important for press freedom. Only if democracy and liberty exist, independent judiciary exists. Only if there is independent judiciary, the press can exist,” he added.
Swe Win noted that, despite the trying times, they are able to criticize the wrongdoings of military generals and leaders of the social movement.
“If there is no proper law, judiciary, how can we work? Journalists should not get privileges. Journalists should be treated like the man on the street. We do not want to be above the law, but we want proper laws, we want strong quotes,” he said.
At a time when press freedom problems bedevil not only Myanmar but also other countries, Swe Win said journalists should continue to stand firm and use difficulty as inspiration to hold the line.
He stressed it was his experience as a political detainee — tortured for doing his work — that made him pursue stories to expose the truth.
“We have these problems in our country, we should not be depressed about the problems, but (these) should be used as energy for better work,” he said.
He has these main principles to live by in news stories: truth, justice, love and quality.
To him, a story cannot be published with one principle absent.
“We should bring truth. We should bring justice. We should bring love. Without love, what kind of a story do you have? You have a meaningless truthful story. Like a novel,” he said.
Old school journalism in the new age
Even when Myanmar Now is an online news site, Swe Win said it is very important for them not to rely on social media for story ideas. He still sees the need to do it the old school way of immersion and getting on the ground to report from there.
“We need to talk with the people, go to the ground and see things with our own eyes. We should not be dependent on the internet for story ideas. Also if we decide to walk on a story, go deep. Dig as much as possible,” he said.