Radio Australia has announced plans to reach audiences in Myanmar including a new special service in Burmese.
Radio Australia Chief Executive Officer, Hanh Tran, said events in Myanmar in recent times, including the devastation of Cyclone Nargis, the extension and detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and the prospect of coming elections, highlighted the need for strong communications into the region.
He said the service to Myanmar in English is imminent with a Burmese language service to follow.
Director of ABC International, Murray Green, said the ABC had been working with the Australian government looking for ways of improving the flow of information to the people of Myanmar.
Mr Green said the move reflected the ABC’s on-going commitment to serving people in those parts of the Asia-Pacific without press freedom.
Radio Australia has served audiences in the region for nearly 70 years but much of that capacity was constrained in the late 1990s as a result of budget cuts.
Mr Green said this latest move to re-introduce Myanmar as a service area was another milestone in the strengthening of the ABC’s presence in the region.