Although it remains in the dubious company of Iraq (#150), Russia (#148), and Mexico (#153), Myanmar is something of a success story for press freedom, says Halgand, of RSF. The country rose 18 spots this year and has made small but significant lurches toward a free media – there are no longer any journalists in the country imprisoned for their work, for instance, and media outlets exiled by the former military dictatorship are slowly being allowed to return. Myanmar has also eliminated the policy of prior censorship, where media content was suppressed before its publication, and RSF researchers were able to return to the country in 2012 after several years of blacklisting, Halgand says.
“Burma should be highlighted because we are observing amazing improvement with no violence,” she adds. “It shows us that democratization can happen without crisis.”
