Myanmar press freedom ranking jumps
Myanmar press freedom has hit an all time high, ranking No. 3 in ASEAN just behind Indonesia and the Philippines, according to the latest survey by Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres. But some veteran journalists also warned that Myanmar media freedom still has a long way to go. This is the first time the overall media freedom received a positive assessment by a major international press freedom monitoring agency. Before the opening up of media scene beginning in 2011, Myanmar often was among the bottom five countries with the world’s worst media freedom. Of all the 180 countries surveyed by RSF, or Reporters Without Borders, Myanmar press freedom received a big boost jumping to 131 this year from 143 last year, topping its neighbor Thailand which now ranks 142 or No. 5 in ASEAN. Cambodia, according to RSF, also enjoys the highest spot at 132 or No. 4 in the regional bloc.
