“Besides our BNI, the SEAPA’s Board [of Trustees] selected Myanmar Journalist Network (MJN) and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) from the Philippines as full members,” Nan Paw Gay, chair of BNI Policy Affairs Committee who attended the assembly, confirmed.

Since BNI has officially become a full member, it can cooperate with media networks from Southeast Asian countries on press freedom and issues relating to the safety of journalists in the region and the country, she continued.

BNI has been cooperating with SEAPA on media affairs since it became its partner in 2013 and its associate member in 2014. Now, it has been accepted as a full member this year.

The organization, which comprises 12 members from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, has been campaigning for freedom of expression based on human rights and offer fellow programs.

SEAPA is based in Bangkok and its generally is held biannually. It only accepts non-profit associations as members and now it has up to 15 members.

Besides accepting three full members, SEAPA has also accepted an associate member and a partner during the general assembly.

SEAPA was established on November 8, 1998 and its 20th anniversary was observed together with the general assembly this year and it was attended by some of the original founders of the organization and the Swedish Ambassador for Thailand.