Episode #284: Rising Above the Static
“We want to have respect and trust from our audience-- not just from the general public audience, but also from the Burmese military government. I want them to know that we are telling the truth. And then by telling the truth, they gave us respect, like, ‘These guys are not doing propaganda. They're not lying. They're telling the truth!’ So even though they may not like it, we're telling the truth, right?”
Now a prominent figure in Myanmar's media landscape, Aye Chan Naing is well-known for his dedication to independent journalism and activism. However, this was not his chosen field. He was studying to become a dentist when the 1988 student-led protests began, and after witnessing the military's brutal crackdown—which included widespread arrests, killings, and other violations of human rights—he took a very different career path.
Fleeing Yangon in the wake of the protests, he initially planned to join the armed struggle against the military dictatorship at the Thai-Burma border, and joined the All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF). However, he was instead assigned a role in the information department to work on the Dawn News Bulletin. Through this work, Aye Chan Naing discovered a passion for journalism, providing crucial updates and details about the situation in Burma to foreign journalists and human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
His foray into journalism was further influenced by a partnership with Bertil Lintner, a Swedish journalist who covered Myanmar. Living with Lintner during his initial years in exile, Aye Chan Naing was fascinated by Lintner’s writing and inspired by his experience in field journalism. This helped to shape Aye Chan Naing's own passion for documenting Burma's ongoing struggle.
After Aung San Suu Kyi received the Nobel Prize in 1991, Aye Chan Naing and three others were sponsored to relocate to Norway to provide a safe platform for independent reporting on events in his country, and challenge the military's monopoly on information, via short wave radio. This turned into the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB). Under Aye Chan Naing's leadership, DVB quickly became an independent and trustworthy source of news for Burmese citizens during a time when the state tightly controlled media access, and played a critical role in amplifying voices within Myanmar that had been silenced by the military. DVB also became a critical link between Myanmar and the international community, especially during pivotal moments such as the 1990 elections and Aung San Suu Kyi’s emergence as a global symbol of resistance. DVB then expanded beyond radio, eventually becoming a multimedia organization offering both television and online content.
Following the political reforms of 2012, Aye Chan Naing relocated to Myanmar to work more directly with the local population and establish DVB in-country. However, Aye Chan Naing was dismayed to find that despite allowing nominal freedom of expression, the Suu Kyi government maintained a somewhat adversarial relationship with the media. They did not take steps to ensure a robust, free press or foster a critical exchange of ideas, and they restricted access to government officials even within the National League for Democracy. “It was quite disappointing under Aung San Suu Kyi's government, because they failed to build an independent media platform or the foundation ... We were pushed into the corner.
Contrasting this with the previous Thein Sein administration, Aye Chan Naing notes that, perhaps counter-intuitively, government ministers then were actually far more willing to engage with the media. He surmises that Thein Sein, despite being a former military officer, saw value in at least the appearance of engagement and transparency; the facade of a free press served a valuable public relations role, signaling the international community that the country really was on a path towards substantive change. On the other hand, Aung San Suu Kyi's administration didn't feel the same pressures given the very positive views the world had of her because of her heroic resistance to military rule. Instead, Aye Chan Naing points to a excessive concern about protecting that image, which included not only a more adversarial relationship with the media, but with various civil society institutions as well. To Aye Chan Naing, this was highly concerning, as both an independent media and robust civil society institutions are essential for strengthening democracy. He feels that the transition government’s failure to nurture these twin pillars ultimately weakened Myanmar's democratic progress.
The 2021 coup forced Aye Chan Naing and DVB back into exile, along with many other journalists. He describes the impact of the coup as “destroying everything we had built up once we moved back in 2012.” Returning to work under exile presented not only the same old challenges that they’d faced in Norway, but new ones as well, particularly journalist safety. Many reporters who had previously been able to work openly have since become well-known to both neighbors and local authorities, making it nearly impossible for them to go underground as reporters again. This has forced DVB to recruit new journalists, a process that takes considerable time and effort. Yet DVB has overcome this and other difficulties, and has assembled a network of underground reporters within Myanmar to continue covering the conflict. However, ensuring coordination between those inside Myanmar and those outside remains a complex and ongoing challenge.
“When you have a microphone, you can say whatever you want, right? But if we're doing exactly the same as the Burmese military, we are no different,” he says in closing. “The more we studied, the more we learned about journalism. And it has to be about the people.”
If you enjoyed the interview with Aye Chan Naing, you might want to check out these past discussions:
Swe Win is an investigative journalist and editor of Myanmar Now, known for his fearless reporting on Myanmar's political corruption and military abuses. Swe Win has also faced threats and imprisonment for his unwavering dedication to exposing the truth, making him an inspirational figure for those passionate about media freedom under Myanmar's repressive environment.
Mratt Kyaw Thu is a seasoned journalist known for his reporting on ethnic conflicts and the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar. His deep understanding of Rakhine State, where he grew up, provides unique insights into the ongoing crises there. His work often reflects the complex interplay of identity, conflict, and media in Myanmar, making his perspective particularly compelling for those who appreciated Aye Chan Naing's exploration of the challenges and sacrifices in independent Burmese journalism.
Nyein Su Wai Kyaw Soe is a courageous photojournalist whose work has vividly documented Myanmar's struggles, including the 2021 coup and subsequent protests. She remarkably captures stark moments of truth amid chaos, and her unique perspective and fearless approach offer an emotional depth that resonates with those who value brave storytelling under extreme pressure.
Moe is a photojournalist who has spent over a decade documenting Myanmar's conflicts, including the Jade mines of Kachin State and the Rohingya crisis, along with the aftermath of the 2021 military coup. His dedication to embedding himself within communities and his commitment to telling the human side of stories make Moe's work unique and powerful. His images capture both the pathos and resilience of Myanmar, making his different perspective a compelling companion to other stories of resistance and sacrifice.
Timothy McLaughlin is a seasoned journalist whose work provides a nuanced understanding of the international community's engagement with Myanmar, particularly following the 2021 coup. His deep dive into the complexities of U.S. policy, sanctions, and aid—alongside the shifting dynamics of regional players like China and Thailand—offers critical insights for those interested in international responses and the role of journalism in challenging authoritarian narratives.