As a key civil society partner of the United Nations in Myanmar, the Red Cross works in close collaboration with the UN on humanitarian crises in the country.  

As the UN Information Centre (UNIC) Yangon recently replaced its official vehicle, instead of the customary practice of re-selling the used automobile to a Government Ministry it donated the vehicle to the Myanmar Red Cross.

The gesture was approved by Government and a handing–over ceremony was held at the Myanmar Red Cross Society.  The Toyota Hi-Lux Double Cab pickup truck has a new lease on life with humanitarian activities.  

“We are delighted to set this precedent” said Ashok Nigam, the Director of UNIC and the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator.  “The Myanmar Red Cross Society is one of the first responders in a humanitarian crisis and this vehicle would definitely be an additional asset in such a situation.  It can be used both to transport personnel and deliver emergency assistance” he added.

The vehicle was accepted by the President of the Myanmar Red Cross Society, Dr. Tha Hla Shwe, who thanked the UNIC Yangon.

Just two years ago, it would have been unimaginable that an event commemorating press freedom could be held in Myanmar, much less, that the Union Minister for Information himself would be speaking at the same event as a political dissident who had spent 20 years in prison for his writings.

On 3 May, World Press Freedom Day was held in Yangon for the second time.  In his address, Union Minister for Information, U Aung Kyi, noted that independent media and democracy go hand in hand.  “Unlike in the past, when the media was used to promote propaganda, persuasion and education, the role of the media (in Myanmar) had dramatically changed, such as in serving as watchdog against the government, safeguarding the rights of individuals, enlightening the public to make it capable of focusing less on the individual and more on the welfare of society and acting as an interface between  the citizens and the Government.”

The recipient of the 2001 UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Award, U Win Tin, however, remarked that as long as restrictions and controls on the media remained, the press would have to continue its struggle for freedom.  U Win Tin, himself journalist, had spent 20 years in prison for his writings.  He was unable to personally accept the award  in 2001 as he was still in prison.  Being invited to speak at this event, he said that it made him feel that he had won the award for the second time.

The Joint message of the Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-Moon and the Director-General of UNESCO, Ms. Irina Bokova, was read out by the Head of Office of UNESCO Myanmar, Mr. Sardar Umar Alam.  Other speakers were, U Ko Ko, Vice President of the Myanmar Journalists Association and U Kyaw Min Swe, the Secretary of the Provisional Myanmar Press Council.  UNESCO Media Development Specialist, Mr. Ramon R. Tuazon gave an overview of Myanmar News Media: Past, Present and Future.

National Information Officer Aye Win, of the UN Information Centre Yangon, was Master of Ceremonies and translated for U Win Tin.  In his interview with Swedish Public Radio, he noted that Myanmar’s media freedoms had come a long way from past censorship and restrictions, but still had a long way to go.  

According to the World Press Freedom Index for 2013, Myanmar has risen sharply as compared with the previous year’s Index.

Myanmar has had its share of disasters, both acts of God and that of Man. The worst being on the 2nd  and 3rd of May 2008, when Cyclone Nargis struck with the loss of, at official count, 140,000 lives. Then there was Cyclone Giri and the earthquakes that struck in the Shan States and in central Myanmar. With no shortage of these calamities to write about, it has become necessary to look towards media colleagues so as to equip them with the tools to write about disaster risk reduction.

As such,  UNIC Yangon teamed up with  the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), UNDP, UNESCO and the Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group to hold a two day workshop with the theme “Towards a new approach to disasters from consequences to causes".  Funded by UNDP with the support of the humanitarian agency of the European Union (ECHO) and in collaboration with the Myanmar Journalists Association, the seminar covered calamities from a disaster risk reduction (DRR) perspective. 

Journalists learned from UNISDR, that while hazards are natural, disasters are not.  Nature provided the hazards, but humans help to create the disaster.  “Teach us like we are children,” one young Myanmar journalist implored.  “How do you expect us to reach out to trishawmen and bus drivers, who read our articles, and tell them about the need for DRR when we have to understand it ourselves?”

“Journalists have to be biased,” Ramon Tuazon of UNESCO thundered.  “They have to be biased towards the truth!”  As chair of the UN Communications Group and spokesperson of the UN in Myanmar, UNIC’s National Information Officer, Aye Win, has had to deal with media demands whenever there is a crisis in his country.  It was an opportunity for him to share his experiences with the young journalists and to explain the development, humanitarian and political aspects of the UN’s activities in Myanmar.  He also interpreted in the workshop thereby making the interactive workshop truly animated as many ideas were exchanged.

The fifth anniversary of the worst disaster in Myanmar’s history is just over a month away. The young journalists ended the workshop with the realization that their new skills and knowledge could be used to help to reduce the risk of disasters in Myanmar and ultimately, to help save lives.

The UN Information Centre (UNIC) Yangon held a press conference at the end of a 10-day field visit from 21 UN Member States on the Organization's work in the country. 

Representatives of six UN Agencies met with Government authorities, parliamentarians and important stakeholders in Myanmar on the country’s development objectives and to build partnerships with national institutions, as well as the country’s burgeoning civil society and private sectors. 

The visiting delegation focused on how the UN Development System cooperates with the Government of Myanmar to tackle developmental and humanitarian challenges through projects aimed at poverty eradication, good governance and gender equality. The importance of taking into account long-term social, economic and environmental sustainability was also highlighted during the joint field visit. The partners recognized Myanmar's rapidly changing development landscape and were encouraged by the political, economic and institutional transitions underway.

"We welcome the changes and wish to invite the positive effects of social inclusion," said the permanent representative of Brazil to the UN.             

The UN representatives thanked the Government and the People of Myanmar for their hospitality and renewed their commitment to continue working together to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and improve people's lives.

UNIC made arrangements for the press conference to be held at Yangon's Inya Lake Hotel and offered translation services to the local media.