Chin State’s Hakha-based newspaper “The Hakha Post” refuses to attend Chin State government’s upcoming press conference because the government demands local media organizations to submit their questions in advance and disallows them to bring up more than three questions.
Chin State government’s annual press conference is scheduled to be held on July 24. The event is purposed to present the government’s works and achievements during the third year of its governance.
“We do appreciate the Chin State government’s plan to hold a press conference. However, they should conduct it in line with media ethics since it is inseparably related to media. It should be free from any restrictions. For instance, the government asks media organizations to submit their questions ahead of the press conference and allows them to bring up only three questions. The government should no longer practice this kind of restriction. Even though they have done it before, they should reform it this time. If the government withholds its current stand, the Hakha Post will not attend the event. We do not need to submit any questions either. Only if the government decides to lift restrictions will we participate in the press conference,” Ko Papui, the Hakha Post’s Chief Editor, said.
Many local journalists also criticize the Chin State government’s upcoming press conference that limitedly allows only three questions per media organization and mandatorily demands the submission of questions in advance. The government has set a deadline of June 17 for question submission.
“We’re aware that the governments of other states and regions in Myanmar also put a restriction on the question at a press conference. But, any of them does not require media organizations to submit their questions ahead of the event,” Ko Robert, editor of Khonumthung Media, said. “It’s confusing why the Chin State government demands a prior submission of question. It seems the government is controlling press freedom. Since it is supposed to be a press conference, not a parliamentary meeting, they should not put the requirement to submit questions in advance.”
Chin State government had already held an annual press conference twice since it assumed office. During the past two press conferences, the government had also applied restrictions on the number of questions and required submission of questions before the deadline. Governments of other states and regions in Myanmar do not require submission of questions in advance.
“There is no such requirement as submitting questions ahead of a press conference in Mon and Kayin States. But, during last year press conference, the government did portion out three questions per reporter because there were so many attendees. If other reporters did not have any more questions, we could bring up more than three. It is the situation of last year. However, I have no idea about this year press conference,” Ko Kyaw Soe, the then director of Southern Myanmar Media Network, said.
