The brave men and women of Burma VJ's
Updated
As Burma heads for national elections this year, the absence of a free media will be painfully obvious. However, in recent years, some brave Burmese, secret journalists and ordinary citizens, have shown their determination to get their stories out. The Democratic Voice of Burma network airs video and cell-phone footage smuggled out of Burma. One documentary, Burma V-J, has been nominated for this weekend's Academy Awards.
Presenter: Sen Lam
Speakers: Toe Zaw Latt, Thailand bureau chief of the Democratic Voice of Burma
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TOE ZAW LATT: We break down into three phases, one is pre-election, and that's election, and the other one is post election coverage. So basically what we are doing is really rebuild our networks. Most of our networks are in big cities like big cities like Rangoon or Mandalay, so we're trying to cover the bigger rural areas too. So pre-election phase, when we do this, what this election is all about. Like or not? Is it fair or unfair, because we are talking about unfair process and inavoidable (sic) outcome, so we basically trying to educate Burmese population. What is an election in normal circumstances. Where to look for it, where are they most likely to cheat, where are the fraud?
LAM: Do Burmese people have access to the DVB? Can they hear you?
TOE ZAW LATT: Yeah, sure, we have both radio and tv. We do two hour television, repeated 24/7 because electricity in Burma is not reliable there. We do two hour radio daily, so we have grown actually 10 million audience for both combined radio and tv.
LAM: So the Burmese authorities do not try to jam you or interrupt your broadcast?
TOE ZAW LATT: They can't jam satellite signals, but they try. Our website is blocked and quite a lot of Burmese go through proxy. But I don't think you can jam radio. It's not that easy. The best you can do is that you can air the same frequency, then make the reception really bad.
LAM: Tell us about this group of, what we might consider very brave men and women who work out of Burma, this very complicated network system that you have in Burma, tell us how it works?
TOE ZAW LATT: Actually it is really as you mentioned, it is very complicated, but I mean we are lucky that we got committed journalists, who want to report what is going on in Burma. Of course I mean it is complicated, so it takes time to build such network, because we don't want them to know each other or to avoid unnecessary danger.
LAM: So for security reasons, it is better for them not to know each other?
TOE ZAW LATT: Yeah. The security risk is first of all that is our concern. We always say to our VJs and any of our underground journalists make sure it's security first. If you don't get the footage, don't push it. We'll try another way.
LAM: So whenever any by-lines or names or anything like that?
TOE ZAW LATT: Usually, the reporter from outside do the story. They find the story, they send it to Thailand or Oslo, then the other reporters they do it. We don't really air with their name. The actual person who chase the story.
LAM: So they provide you the raw material?
TOE ZAW LATT: Basically, it's like that, and also to verify facts.
LAM: Do you have VJ's video journalist or indeed even journalists who are on the pay roll who are doing it for a living, apart from ordinary citizens?
TOE ZAW LATT: All of our journalists are trained and professional. So most of them, I am talking about our own people and they are all full time paid. Some may be full time basis, some on a contribution basis. They are all trained journalists and they are professional journalists.
LAM: The documentary "Burma VJ" has been nominated at the Academy Awards next week. Do you think this Oscar nomination might help or jeopardise video journalism in Burma?
TOE ZAW LATT: Definitely, it will help. It is a kind of recognition of our journalists as well as some monks and citizens who try very hard (to work) for change.
LAM: You don't think it will make the junta sit up and take notice?
TOE ZAW LATT: It's already there, nobody safe in Burma, but there is security. There is no private television in Burma, so people with video camera is always targetted. And on top of that, people with media equipment like MP3, recorders and hand phones, they're always under constant watch. But of course nobody's really safe, especially those journalists, because if the military don't want information flow, so they make sure that there is no such things. They want to try their best to block their flow of information.
LAM: How successful has the junta been in blocking such information, because I understand in recent times, at least three journalists have been thrown into jail with very long sentences?
TOE ZAW LATT: Yeah, they may scare some journalists. I don't think they can completely stop it. Because it is the Burmese people, if the reporter wants to report what is going on in Burma first of all. It is the people that really want to talk to the media that how they live, a difficult situation in daily life and also on top of that we have a very reliable technology so that we can overcome these barriers. Of course, something happens and the first thing, the military responds by shutting down their computer or their telephone communication, but we manage to overcome these deadlocks, so we have a few technologies in place, so thanks to technology for that.
LAM: Thailand, of course, is renowned for its robust media in the region and you're operating out of Thailand in Chiang Mai. Have the Thai authorities turned a blind eye to Burmese attempts to silence you? Do you see a time when Thailand might be a little bit sensitive, the fact that you are operating out of Thailand?
TOE ZAW LATT: The way we operate is mutual benefit to the Thailand authorities too. Burma shares a long border line with Thailand. Of course there are around one million migrant workers, refugees and border trades and drugs and other information too. Of course we are not I mean openly operating, but I don't think there is immediate pressure as to stop our operation, but that is always ongoing personal pressure from Burmese Government and Thai Government, that there are some media groups using Thailand as a .. that is a known fact, and I don't think we'll get kicked out immediately, especially when Thailand is also mutual benefitted by receiving that information.
LAM: Toe Zaw Latt, we wish you and the Democratic Voice of Burma all the best. Thank you for joining us.
TOE ZAW LATT: Thank you very much.
