EDITOR'S PERSPECTIVE

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Today, correspondents for local papers and Burmese working for wire services are extremely wary of contact with unknown outsiders. Among Burmese living in exile, reliable and independent reporting is increasingly regarded as essential to the struggle to establish a genuine democracy. One-sided accounts are no longer considered acceptable, whether they come from the junta or the democratic opposition, signaling a deeper appreciation of the value of press freedom. This in turn places greater responsibility on journalists, as we strive to satisfy this demand for balance and accuracy. But inside Burma, the situation remains dire. The need for information that matters goes unanswered, as the state-run press continues to devote far more energy to diatribes against the opposition than it does to addressing issues like the country’s HIV/AIDS crisis. Foreign-based Burmese-language radio services to some extent fill gaps in people’s understanding of such issues, but until the regime itself realizes that information is the lifeblood of any thriving society, and not a weapon to be wielded by the state alone, Burma will continue to court innumerable disasters. For the good of the country, the generals must end their obstruction of the media.