Frontier’s proprietor responds to allegations made by Myanmar Now that he’s partaking with the junta.
By PICHAI CHUENSUKSAWADI
On February 10, Myanmar Now printed an investigation into Frontier making the baseless accusation that it’s a part of a pro-military propaganda operation. Myanmar Now described this story as a part of a greater than year-long investigation on the hidden position of army intelligence in Myanmar media.
Frontier’s former editor-in-chief Thomas Kean issued a response on the identical day, and present editor-in-chief Thu Thu Aung expressed her views in a LinkedIn submit just a few days later.
I wish to tackle right here a sidebar story that Myanmar Now printed together with its primary report and which considerations me instantly. The story stated that the outlet can now “reveal” that, as the foremost shareholder of Frontier, I’m “partaking with Myanmar army junta officers”.
The article then quoted me as saying: “I proceed to fulfill many former, and if potential, present authorities officers from many international locations together with Myanmar, to maintain updated with developments.” The piece omitted the remainder of the quote, “(even when I strongly disagree with them)”.
For readability, as somebody who has been a journalist for over three a long time, I categorically reject any insinuation that I’ve any pursuits or affiliation with Myanmar army junta officers past what I’ve already acknowledged. The golden rule of journalists not revealing sources stays with me even after retiring from the Bangkok Put up. I don’t obtain any advantages or affect from such events.
It was additionally claimed within the article that one other “enterprise related to Frontier Myanmar is a knowledge company that collects data on what persons are saying on-line for its shoppers, which Sonny Swe has publicly acknowledged embody embassies”. No such enterprise exists. This seems to be the results of a misunderstanding a few customized media monitoring service that Frontier supplied between 2021 and March final yr.
I’ve all the time been proud to be related to Frontier and lengthy admired the professionalism and dedication of its management and the entire staff of editors, reporters and workers. I stay up for supporting Frontier as greatest I can.
