BMA's Recent Activities

to protect the freedom of Burmese media personnel:
to promote the freedom of expression in Burma:
to cooperate with other international media organizations that share the common interest:

to protect the freedom of Burmese media personnel:

BMA gathers latest information about Burmese media personnel who are imprisoned, put under house arrest, died in prison or released. BMA also monitors press freedom situation in Burma. Gathered information is quickly redistributed to various press freedom organizations such as RSF and CPJ (Committee to Protect Journalists), wire services such as AFP and AP, and Burmese-language international radio stations such as BBC, VOA, Radio Free Asia and DVB.
BMA (in most cases, jointly with RSF) regularly writes to Burmese military government asking it to immediately release imprisoned journalists and to mend the deterioration of press freedom in Burma.
BMA and RSF also issues news and media release to inform the international community about encroachment of press freedom in Burma.
BMA sometime had to protect its own members who were arrested for their journalistic activities in Burmas neighboring countries. Some examples are: Arrests of Mizzima editor Soe Myint (BMA Vice-Secretary) and RFA reporter Ko Nyo in India and, freelance journalists Minn Kyaw (BMA Branch Secretary) and Ma Sein Mar in Malaysia. It was believed that they were arrested for their critical reporting over host countries close relationship with Burmese military government. There were some indications that Burmese authorities put pressure on respective governments to make the arrests.
BMA launches letter-, postcard-, fax- and online-campaigns campaigns for the release of imprisoned Burmese journalists. Most prominent campaign efforts had been made for journalist U Win Tin and Soe Myint.
BMA from time to time nominates Burmese journalists for international press freedom awards. Myo Myint Nyein, BMAs nominee, won 2001 International Press Freedom Award conferred by the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE). He was in prison when he won the award, but released a few weeks after the announcement of the prize. He, in his confidential thanks-note sent to BMA, stated that his release was most probably facilitated by the award and the pressure from media freedom organizations. Recently, BMA nominated video journalists Aung Pwint and Thaung Htun for 2004 CPJ International Press Freedom Award, and the result is yet to be seen.
It is somewhat difficult to evaluate the effect of BMAs activities, but given the fact that junta-controlled newspapers printed 4 lengthy articles in 2003 and 5 in 2004 to attack BMA proved that the organizations activities are hurting Burmese dictatorial regime.

Through its trusted contacts, BMA collects literary works that were banned in Burma. Some of them were turned down by the Literary Works Scrutinizing Committee, an offshoot of the interior ministry, before publication was made, and some were simply ripped off or inked-over after the publication was made. Some of these literatures were already published online on BMA-website. For the time being, BMA is preparing to publish collected articles written by imprisoned journalist U Win Tin.
BMA online-publishes literary works that were created and sent to BMA by prominent writers and journalists inside the country.
BMA online republishes literary works that were produced in a short period of democracy summer during 1988 public uprising against the dictatorship.
Above mentioned literary works were recently published in BMA magazine Oo-Dan which is published every 3 months.
BMA also online-publishes media-related news and literature in English language contributed by member and non-member reporters, writers and academics.
Some of the BMA members work for various Burmese-language international radio stations as reporters. This is our great advantage in conveying the message of press freedom situation in Burma and freedom of expression directly to Burmese radio listeners.

BMA cooperates with international organizations such as RSF, CPJ, WAN (World Association of Newspapers), CJFE, International PEN, IFEX (The International Freedom of Expression Exchange) and UNESCO. BMA also have good contacts with regional media associations such as in Canada, India, Thailand and Korea where BMA branches are located.