Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Twelve local journalists were allowed to attend Burma’s first ever ‘Forum on Poverty’ which was attended by President Thein Sein in Naypyitaw this weekend.
Myanmar Writers and Journalists Association Secretary Ko Ko said the forum was attended by editors, assistant editors and executive editors from local media.
On May 20, Mizzima was in error when it reported that the authorities had revoked the previous invitations to both Rangoon-based local and foreign journalists to attend the forum.
In fact, on May 18 the authorities invited 12 local journalists and four foreign journalists. The next evening, they revoked the invitations to four foreign journalists on the order of superior officials.
‘We attended the forum not only for reporting. We were allowed to participate in the discussions. My main objective was to participate in the discussions, not to gather information’, Ko Ko told Mizzima.
He said, ‘The local journalists were invited to attend the forum to participate, while the main objective of the foreign journalists might have been to gather information. Not inviting the foreign journalists was the affair between the relevant departments and the foreign journalists. I don’t want to comment about it’.
Editors from Flower News, 7 Day News, Weekly Eleven News, Modern Time, Myanmar Times andKumudra attended the forum and participated in the discussions.
President Thein Sein and Vice President Dr. Sai Mauk Kham attended on the first day of the forum. On the second day, Vice President Tin Aung Myint Oo attended.
In the forum, more than 12 discussion papers were presented, Ko Ko said.
‘The forum shows that top leaders in the government are interested in the issue. And we could discuss things frankly in the forum. I have never seen such an active forum’, he said.
Union level ministers, economists and nongovernmental organizations also attended the forum. More than 200 people participated.
President Thein Sein said that economic development of rural areas would help to alleviate poverty because 70 percent of the population lives in rural areas and represent the main work force.
In the forum, economist Myint, who has been appointed as a presidential adviser discussed ‘poverty alleviation in Burma’; Agriculturalist Dr. Sein Hla Bo discussed integrated agriculture and livestock breeding and recycling of waste; economist Hset Aung discussed differences of opinion about rural regional development and economic growth; and Dr. Li Kyaw of the University of Agriculture (Yezin) discussed promoting investment in the agricultural sector, the Eleven Media Group reported on its website.
