The Associated Press has opened a bureau in Yangon, Myanmar (also known as Burma), the first international news agency permitted to operate full time in the country, which has relaxed its longtime restrictions on media amid a wave of democratic reforms.
Six multiformat journalists will staff the new AP bureau. Among them is Aye Aye Win, an award-winning correspondent who has reported from her native country for the AP since 1989. She took over the job from another AP veteran — her father, U Sein Win — who had covered the country for AP for 20 years and who was jailed by a previous government. Aye Aye Win was honored for courage in 2008 by the International Women’s Media Foundation.
Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll said: “We take great pride in our independent and impartial reporting, and coverage of Myanmar has been a priority for many years. A full-time, multimedia bureau staffed by talented local and international journalists will enable AP to provide even more coverage of the historic changes underway.”