Kyaw Thu

• Position: Freelance Journalist
• Date of Fellowship: Michaelmas 2011 & Hilary 2012 
• Sponsor: Thomson Reuters Foundation

Kyaw Thu is a freelance journalist covering politics, international relations and business news in Myanmar. He started his journalist career at the Myanmar Times Newspaper, the only bilingual private newspaper in Myanmar, in 2004.

Before he left from the Myanmar Times in 2010, he worked as an energy editor, business editor and diplomatic affairs editor overseeing the politics and business desk of the paper. 

Kyaw Thu has a Master of Social Science in Development Studies degree from City University of Hong Kong and Post-graduate Diploma in International Relations from University of Yangon. 

Research Project

The Impact of Censorship on the Development of the Private Press Industry in Myanmar/Burma

What are the challenges faced by the private press in Myanmar to perform its duty as a watchdog, to advocate the government and to inform the public? Do restrictions on journalists undermine their reporting on sensitive issues? How does censorship impact on the journalists in producing quality work?

The aim of this research is to assess and analyze the impact of censorship on the development of the private press industry in Myanmar and how Myanmar journalists respond to the restrictions imposed on them.