Written evidence submitted by BBC Media Action and BBC World Service

How Media Can Support Democracy and Development in Burma

Executive summary

This inquiry submission examines the role that media and communication can play in strengthening governance in Burma, also known as Myanmar. It is based on the BBC’s experience in the country over many years, both via BBC Media Action, its international development charity, and through its Burmese language service.

To date, a major focus of international governance support in Burma has been at a macro level, such as financial regulation and legislative reforms. However, strong democracies also require citizens and communities that are empowered to play a role in dialogue and decision-making that affects their lives. The evidence available in Burma at present suggests that individuals and communities lack the confidence or ability to make their voices heard and to participate in political processes. There is a need for increased discussion and engagement on social and political issues, more bottom-up communication between communities and their leaders and greater inclusion of religious and ethnic minorities, women, and the rural poor. Media has the potential to influence these barriers by enhancing knowledge and engagement and creating platforms for citizen voice and participation during Burma’s transition to democracy.  The BBC has a vital role to play on both counts.

1. This submission provides the BBC’s perspective on how the role of media and communications can contribute to strengthening governance in Burma, also known as Myanmar, based both on the ongoing work of BBC Media Action in-country[1] and the expertise of the Burmese language section of BBC World Service. BBC Media Action has conducted extensive research over the last year, and is now providing support to the public service reform project in MRTV, the state broadcaster.

2. March 2011 heralded the start of a period of unprecedented political reform in Burma, as a military junta handed over power to a semi-civilian government.[2] Much of the attention from the international community to date has focused on systems-level reform in the wake of this political transition: e.g., financial regulation, anti-corruption measures, legislative reforms and establishing the rule of law. But while macro reforms to achieve greater transparency and accountability are crucial to democratic progress, the role that individuals and civil society play in Burma’s democratic future is equally important. Effective, functioning, democracies require citizens that are informed of their rights, can make their voices heard and are empowered to hold their leaders to account.

3. This submission focuses on priorities for empowering those at the population level to play their role in strengthening governance and development in Burma. It draws on research conducted by BBC Media Action in Burma in 2013, as well as data collected by other NGOs working in the field. The barriers to citizen voice and participation in Burma’s emerging democracy include a lack of discussion and dialogue on social and political issues, a lack of bottom-up communication between communities and their leaders and the social and political exclusion of religious and ethnic minorities, women and the rural poor. The role that media and communications can play in addressing these barriers, and the donor support that media will need to effectively play such a role, is also reviewed. 

Barriers at the population level

4. Knowledge of the political system and awareness of key governance issues affecting communities and citizens in Burma is extremely low. BBC Media Action’s Governance Baseline Study[3] (2013) found that 46% of participants could not mention a single national issue of concern and 62% were unable to name a policy, law or service change announced by the government in past year. Furthermore, many participants reported low confidence in their ability to process political information - with 65% agreeing with the statement ‘sometimes politics seems so complicated a person like me can’t understand what’s going on’. These figures echo findings from BBC Media Action’s Youth Study[4] (2013), where participants expressed confusion about the meaning of terms such as “democracy” and did not feel that they knew enough to hold an opinion or participate in the political process. 

5. Taking action on a governance issue of importance is even more uncommon. Decades of political oppression have meant that engaging in overtly political activities such as protests or demonstrations has been a dangerous pursuit in Burma. In BBC Media Action’s Governance Baseline (2013), such manifest forms of participation were almost non-existent (<1%). This reluctance to express political views was also evident in more informal types of participation, such as interpersonal discussion with family, friends and other acquaintances. 46% of those surveyed reported that they never discussed local and national issues of importance with anyone at all. This low level of dialogue resonates with findings from BBC Media Action’s Youth Audience study (2013), where participants commented that the research experience itself was the first time they had ever discussed social topics with their peers. Whether such responses reflect a true lack of awareness and political engagement - or simply a reluctance or fear to acknowledge them - is unclear. Either way, these responses indicate barriers to exercising agency among the Burmese population.

6. Individual empowerment within the political realm is also shaped by the formal and informal structures that determine access to leaders and decision-makers. In Burma, there are six layers of official structures between a household and the central government level.[5] In theory, formal structures that extend to such a local level should provide those in even the most rural areas with direct access to local government representatives.

7. However, research conducted by ActionAid Myanmar[6] (2012) found that communication between district/township and community levels is still very much a top-down affair:  In case study villages, only the village tract leader had contact with township level administration[7] and these leaders rarely instigated community-wide planning or decision-making meetings at the local level. BBC Media Action’s Governance Baseline (2013) survey also found that while 44% of participants reported attending a ward or village administration meeting at least once, only 12% had ever raised an issue that mattered with a village/ward level official and just 2% had done so with a township level official.

8. Some social and demographic groups face particular barriers to social and political inclusion. Ethnic groups, such as Rohingya Muslims, are formally excluded from claiming social and political rights as citizens of Burma. Growing support for the nationalist anti-Muslim 969 campaign is a worrying sign that the Muslim minority may face increasing challenges to social and political inclusion in the future.

9. There is also evidence to show that women, the poor and rural communities are at a disadvantage when it comes to claiming their rights and participating in decision-making. BBC Media Action’s Governance Baseline (2013) found that these groups report significantly lower levels of awareness, efficacy and political discussion in comparison with male, wealthy and urban groups respectively. BBC Media Action Youth Audience research (2013) found that traditional hierarchies often prevented young people from expressing their views and questioning older members of their families and communities.

10. A study produced by a collaboration between Oxfam, ActionAid and CARE on women’s participation in public life in Myanmar (2011) found that while women participated at a local level in community groups such as development committees, their contribution to debate and decision-making is limited. [8] Social norms around the household division of labour mean that when women hold leadership positions outside of the home, this reflects poorly on their husbands and challenges the position of men as a group within the community at large. The study found that women were minimally represented in village leadership roles, a state of affairs that is not likely to improve in light of recently passed local governance legislation. [9]

Recommendations for how media can contribute to improved governance in Burma

11. Raise awareness and reduce knowledge deficits: High-quality, balanced media can be a crucial source of impartial information on individual rights and government policies. Where citizens are not aware of political reforms that are happening around them, they are automatically excluded from public dialogue. Without understanding what policies their leaders are debating and how their communities will be affected, there is little impetus for citizens to question those in power. The existence of a trusted public service media can play a crucial role in providing this information.[10] A public service media may also serve to counteract misinformation and rumour propagated by less reliable sources.

12. Provide platforms for public deliberation: Media can act as a platform to raise issues and connect leaders with the public. The discourse of political reform in Burma does not, as yet, appear to have permeated to the general population level. Nor do formal structures for populations to engage in the political process yet exist. Media can bridge this gap through formats that enable citizens to air their views, pose their questions and hear directly from politicians and other decision-makers. Where citizens are not yet confident about raising issues with leaders, media can raise those issues on their behalf. Naturally, this requires a media that is in touch with the needs and concerns of its audience and is itself granted access to address leaders in this way. The media environment in Burma has not supported programming of this kind to date. However, the potential for this more accountable and interactive media formatting has recently been noted in Myanmar Radio’s new interactive radio news programme Lively News,[11] as well as in BBC Burmese Service debate programming broadcast during the World Economic Forum. 

13. Stimulate discussion and participation: Continuing uncertainty about the limits of freedom of expression and the individual’s role in democratic processes have limited the extent to which people engage in interpersonal discussion and other forms of participation, as noted earlier. Media can provide a safe space to engage in - and observe - discussion of social and political issues while preserving an individual’s anonymity. BBC Media Action research (2013) has found evidence that viewing political debate and discussion programmes is positively associated with political discussion and participation.[12]

14. Promote tolerance across groups and strengthen social and political inclusion: Creative programming can confront entrenched negative social attitudes towards groups in society or tackle controversial or taboo topics in a way that traditional news media might not currently have the freedom to do. Programmes that show the reality of lives of marginalised groups - such as religious minorities and women - can highlight role models, raise awareness of needs and experiences and represent ‘alternative’ options for such individuals and groups. By reflecting a diversity of voices and perspectives, independent and balanced media can help to promote understanding across groups, particularly where tensions exist.  

Donor Support to Media in Burma

15. Radio is the most accessed media platform in Burma, particularly amongst rural inhabitants, yet news broadcasts are still limited to those produced by the state.[13] The capacity and motivation of local media outlets to broadcast news and information in a balanced, accessible way needs to be increased in order to reach provide audiences with a plurality of reliable sources and perspectives. Enhancing the professional skills of broadcast journalists is a priority. Capacity building that targets senior levels of broadcast organisations is also important, as buy-in from owners and managers is essential for creating opportunities for journalists to improve the quality of their output.  Rural and ethnic minority audiences remain underserved, and developing media capacity outside of the Rangoon and Mandalay regions could help to address this information gap.

16. The government has committed itself to reform of the state broadcaster of Burma, MRTV.  Following an invitation from the government, BBC Media Action has been supporting reform efforts by training and capacity building which is showing important progress. Experience from other countries suggests that such reform processes require long term engagement.  Continued efforts to transform editorial and management processes at Myanmar Radio and MRTV so that output becomes more impartial and independent, and focused on meeting the needs of the public, are important and will require long term commitment.. 

17. Many broadcasters still have trouble gaining access to government officials, which significantly impedes their ability to report on governance issues. Workshops to improve practitioners’ and officials’ understanding of the role of the media and how it can be used for information exchange and communication with the wider population could be beneficial.

18. Working with the government to reform media laws will remain important if the media is to grow and function as a ‘fourth estate’ in Burma’s transitioning democracy. The need for more transparency and clarity on the rules and regulations around broadcast media underpins all of the above.

BBC services in Burma

19. The BBC plays a major role in Burma through the provision of its news service in Burmese and English.  It strives to be a beacon for impartiality, journalistic freedom and quality, and has established itself as the most trusted and reliable source of information in Burma, a reputation built up over the years when the media was tightly controlled by the state. BBC Burmese remains an essential source of information for people living in Burma - its news and current-affairs coverage aims to reflect diverse opinions and offers in-depth analysis.
20. Surveys show that radio remains the primary medium to which Burmese turn for news with television catching up fast (ref. BBG - Burma Media Use 2012 and MMRD - Myanmar Consumers Media Habits 2013).  A new broadcasting law will be introduced early next year which will allow private radio and TV stations, as well as community radios, to operate.  The BBC is well placed to take full advantage of these changes, following on from a number of key distribution developments which have already taken place since government media reforms. 

21. There is potential for the BBC to increase its presence even further.  New media has just begun to gain a foothold in Burma and is still fairly limited, but this will change very quickly.  Two telecommunication companies Telenor and Ooredoo recently won contracts to develop the Internet and mobile communications.  The BBC is developing its services to respond to the rapidly changing market.

22. However, the BBC’s newsgathering operation in Burma is currently hampered by bureaucracy surrounding its application for a permanent correspondent in the country.

Recent distribution developments

23. The pace of BBC broadcasting developments in Burma since the beginning of 2013 is unprecedented.  Although massively popular with an estimated audience of 8m a week, prior to 2013 BBC availability in Burma was limited to short wave radio in Burmese and English. 

24. In September last year a senior World Service team led by Director, Peter Horrocks, visited Burma to begin the negotiations which led to a breakthrough in BBC distribution. The team learnt that news was literally delivered to the state broadcaster once a day by the state news agency. The job of the journalists was to read it out, word for word, unaltered.  However, media changes have been rapid and those journalists and editors are now keen to have the BBC's help in learning about open and balanced journalism.
25. As a direct result of the negotiations mentioned above, BBC World News, BBC Entertainment and CBeebies channels became available on the Free to Air channel, Forevergroup, and the SkyNet pay TV platform in Burma on 1 January 2013.  Skynet alone has an estimated reach of over 350,000 households, and a recent survey by Skynet shows that the BBC channels are among the most popular. BBC World Service radio output in English also became available at this time on the digital receiver of Forever Group in Burma.   Its total estimated reach is 250,000 households.

26. BBC Burmese secured its first re-broadcasting agreement with one of the key FM stations in Burma Padamyar in August, 2013.  Padamyar has 14 million listeners. The service is planning to launch another re-broadcasting agreement with the key FM station Shwe in November.  Shwe FM covers 98% of the country.

27. Discussions with Skynet are also taking place with regards to a BBC Burmese daily 10 minute TV bulletin on one of their channels. The BBC plans to launch the TV bulletin in early 2014. This followed on from a one-off special TV discussion programme around the World Economic Forum, organised by BBC Burmese on the future of the nation’s economy. The guests included politicians from both the government and the opposition and the programme was shown on the local TV channel.  Since then similar programmes have been introduced by both state and private TV stations.

28. In June this year the BBC became the first international broadcaster on the mobile platform with the launch of daily BBC Burmese audio bulletins.  BBC Burmese is planning to launch SMS news on the mobile platform on the 14th October.  Again the BBC will be the first to provide SMS bulletins on the mobile platform in Burma.

29. Social media platform Facebook is becoming very popular among young people and the BBC Burmese Facebook page has over 240,000 likes and continues to rise. Users visit BBC Facebook for news and the appetite for international news is very high.

BBC Burmese and BBC Media Action

30. The Burmese service plays an integral part in implementing BBC Media Action projects. In 2012 Media Action launched its iLearn project for new and experienced Burmese journalists and the service found trainers and trainees for the project.  Some BBC Burmese staff helped with the iLearn modules.

31. This year BBC Media Action launched Young Bright Stars, a weekly 15 minute radio magazine programme, and the Burmese service allocated a producer to oversee the programme.

Newsgathering in Burma

32. The current situation in Burma for visiting journalists from the BBC with regards to visas is hugely improved compared to just a year ago.  The BBC’s Bangkok bureau is regularly issued with three month multiple entry visas and currently the Ministry of Information respond quickly to requests for visas from the rest of the BBC’s newsgathering operation.

33. However, attempts to officially open a bureau in the country with a resident correspondent have not been as successful, and the BBC is currently unable to accredit someone full time.   At the time of writing only NHK, Reuters and AP have been granted official bureaux in the country.

34. The BBC has been informed that a cabinet committee is needed to approve its application and that they have not met to discuss this subject for many months.  The lack of a permanent correspondent does have a serious impact on the BBC’s ability to cover the transition in Burma and it is hoped that this can be resolved shortly - especially ahead of the run-up to the 2015 elections.

November 2013