Washington, D.C. – Burmese voters went to the polls on April 1 and the Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) were there providing wall-to-wall coverage as democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi gained a seat in Parliament.
Although she and her National League for Democracy will hold only a fraction of power in parliament, they are expected to be an active opposition to the military-backed government.
VOA and RFA provided broadcast and on-line coverage, including analysis and reaction to the process, the results, and the impact on the nation and its people. The multimedia programming includes election previews, reaction from exiles and other features.
“In a place where approximately one in four adults tune in to broadcasts from RFA and VOA, we know our broadcasts play a vital role providing unbiased coverage of these elections,” said Michael Meehan, a member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees all U.S. international broadcasting.
