Mizzima awarded global JTI certificate for reliable news on Myanmar

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Mizzima Mizzima, one of Myanmar ’s most prominent news outlets and a press freedom advocate, obtained the Journalism Trust Initiative ( JTI ) certification from global audit firm Bureau Veritas , JTI says in a press statement 5 January.  Operating in clandestine mode within Myanmar and supported by an exiled team, Mizzima strives to fulfil its role as reliable source of news and information for the Myanmar public. “Your Journalism Trust Initiative certification affirms what audiences already know: that principled, transparent journalism matters. Congratulations on this achievement and on your continued contribution to informing citizens about Myanmar,” says Benjamin Sabbah , director of Journalism Trust Initiative “Myanmar’s ongoing conflict has created an intensely contested media landscape, where mis- and disinformation are increasingly deployed to reinforce state propaganda and the prevailing “official” narrative. Although Mizzima is already regarded as one of the most trusted ...
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Many along Mekong River concerned about hydropower expansion

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Friday, 27 April 2012 15:21 Rick Valenzuela

A Thai company says it is going ahead with construction of the controversial $3.5 billion Xayaburi dam on the Mekong River in Laos. Some 12 planned hydropower dams on the Mekong are expected to bring in lucrative profits, but environmentalists warn the dams threaten the health of a river that sustains tens of millions of people.

Ek Than's family has lived in this remote Mekong village in northern Kratie, Cambodia, for more than three generations.

The Mekong River in Laos Photo: flickr / Ryan Hoffman

As dams have popped up in China, as well as on upstream tributaries, he has noticed the difference.

"In the past, there were plenty of fish. Now, even if we use 10 fish traps, it's hard to get fish," he said.

Than's family lives north of one proposed hydropower dam, in Sambor district.

It would be Cambodia's first on the mainstream Mekong - and one of 12 planned along the 3,000-kilometer river. Most remain suspended over environmental concerns, but governments are eager to develop hydropower to boost their economies.

Farther upstream, construction continues on Laos' first dam, in Xayaburi Province.

Laos electricity officer Viraponh Viravong says the project is crucial for the region, despite worries about its impact on the river.

"It's like nuclear," said Viravong.  "Some countries want to stop it, some want to go ahead with it. And this project, I guess is the same thing."

Environmental analysts have been vocal opponents of Xayaburi and some other proposed dams.

"All of the evidence [it has] produced so far has stated that this dam should not be built, that to do so would completely damage and destroy the Mekong River's fisheries," said Ame Trandem with the International Rivers group.

Back in Sambo Province, Ek Than's wife explains how the Mekong provides food for her family and her farm. River water nourishes their rice fields, sustaining the entire village.

The family also continues to live off the electrical grid, but they are less convinced about the benefits of harnessing the Mekong's power.

"I am worried. I don't where we would move if our village is flooded. It would be miserable," said Nuth Hem, a local villager. With the dams still a long way from completion, Ek Than's family faces years of uncertainty about their future.

Copyright Voanewscom. Used with permission.

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