On Sunday, November 7th, Burmese voters will go to the polls for the first time in two decades to cast votes in a multi-party general election. With official visas to cover the poll denied to foreign journalists and correspondents, the junta has once again come in the way of the international media accessing information on the ground to report to the world.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand hopes to help bridge this information gap by serving as a portal on election day and a place for correspondents and journalists to file on Sunday November 7 starting at 11 a.m.
The seven screens in the clubhouse will carry footage from the state-run Myanmar TV and other television broadcasts from various channels inside and outside the country covering the poll.
The club has invited analysts from the majority Burman and ethnic minority communities to monitor the polls and provide comments and interviews to journalists who need them. Translators fluent in both English and Burmese will also be on hand to help navigate through any language barriers.
Bangkok-based diplomats who are accredited to Burma have been invited to drop by to share information they receive from their sources inside the country.
The FCCT appreciates the generosity of the Embassy of Canada in Bangkok for helping to make this important political event possible.