The EMC conference, which will be held at the Karson Hall, is being organised by Burma News International (BNI), which is an ethnic media alliance made up of 13 ethnic media groups. It is also being supported by the Chin based BNI member media organisations Khonumthung News and Chin World Media. The Chin media organisations Chinland Post and Hakha Post are also supporting the event.

The government information minister U Ye Htut and the Chin Prime Minister U Hong Ngai will also join the conference. There will be over 200 other people attending representing mainstream media, ethnic media groups, civil society organisations (CSOs), political parties, religious organisations and ethnic media scholars.

The aim of the EMC is to develop ethnic media groups. This is the third consecutive year the EMC has been held. Previously in 2013 it was held in Mawlamyine Town in Mon State, while in 2014 it was held in Taunggyi in Shan State.

The motto of this third ethnic media conference will be: ‘Sustaining Ethnic Media in Myanmar’. There will be talks led by panels of scholars from inside and outside Burma. Topics covered will include: mainstream media’s duties for the development of ethnic media; media law; development and markets; the peace process and the challenges of the democratic transitional period; peace, fairness and media; the educational situation and its challenges in Chin State; human rights and the media; media and development of networks in this transitional period; public media and the role of radio and television.

BNI is an ethnic media alliance that aims to develop ethnic media inside Burma. Its members include: Khonumthung News, Chin World, Narinjara News, Mizzima News, Shan Herald Agency News, Kachin News Group, Independent Mon News Agency, Network Media Group, Shwehintha, the Karen Information Center, Kantarawaddy Times and the Thanlwin Times.

Translated by Aung Myat Soe English version written by Mark Inkey for BNI