FCCT Dismayed Over Dismissal Of Myanmar Journalist

BANGKOK, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT) is dismayed over the dismissal of Myanmar Times' journalist Fiona MacGregor following her reporting of alleged human right abuses in Rakhine State in Myanmar. The club urged the newspaper to reconsider its decision to dismiss the journalist with a good record of accurate reporting and to "resist government pressure to censor or sanction journalists." "She was sacked four days after Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay accused her of bias on his Facebook page," the club said in a statement here. Myanmar's Information Ministry, it said, also reportedly complained about her articles to Myanmar Times. The club urged the authorities to allow journalists access to areas like northern Rakhine State so they can properly inform themselves about the issues there. The improvements to media freedom in Myanmar over the past five years have been widely applauded and Myanmar Times could be proud of the role it played in that revival, said FCCT. -- BERNAMA