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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ASEAN leaders sign controversial human rights charter

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Monday, 19 November 2012 12:05 Mizzima News

The heads of the 10-member Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Sunday night signed a human rights pact despite widespread criticism that the declaration falls short of international standards and offers governments a variety of loopholes.

The text of the declaration reaffirms the bloc’s support for political and civil rights, as well as economic and development rights for all of Southeast Asia’s 600 million citizens. It condemns torture, human trafficking, and arbitrary arrest and detention; and affirms each country’s support for the rights of women and condemnation of violence against women.

“It's a legacy for our children,” Philippines Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario told reporters after the signing the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) at a ceremony in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.

Thai premier Yingluck Shinawatra referred to the pact as an “evolving process,” according to Thai daily The Bangkok Post.

However, alongside the ASEAN diplomats’ praise for what they call a “milestone” and a “benchmark” in regional affairs, rights experts have roundly criticized the AHRD.

Phil Robertson of New York-based Human Rights Watch said the non-binding element of the agreement may, in fact, be exploited by ASEAN governments “to justify violating rights.”

Referring to the ASEAN bloc as “an unwieldy bloc of liberal democracies and authoritarian states, The Associated Press reported on Sunday night that: “ASEAN has taken feeble steps to address human rights concerns in the vast region of 600 million people, adopting a charter in 2007 where it committed to uphold international law and human rights but retained a bedrock principle of not interfering in each other's internal affairs—a loophole that critics say helps member states commit abuses without consequence.

“In 2009, the group unveiled a commission that was tasked to promote human rights but deprived of power to investigate violations or go after abusers,” it said.
Activists say they are hoping that the AHRD’s defects are highlighted later this week when US President Obama attends the summit.

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