Myanmar Election Coverage from Youth Radio

Available for over a year

Last week, the citizens of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) cast their votes in the country’s landmark general election which has been described as one of the most free and fair elections for numerous years. Alongside changes to the electoral process, there have also been reforms to the media that have relaxed the previous tight censorship. Yet a lack of information has meant that some young people in Myanmar don’t understand their own political system. To help increase political awareness and create space for Burmese youth to challenge their politicians, the BBC’s international development charity BBC Media Action established a youth radio station called Bright Young Stars. In September, they held their first political debate in Yangon with the country's political candidates. Rajan Datar spoke to the Burmese production team to hear their opinion on the outcome of the debate and how they are encouraging their peers to get involved in politics. And, presenter Nomia Iqbal who witnessed the debate first hand explains how the media landscape in Myanmar may be changing.