Myanmar: A Time of Change

Myanmar (Burma) is holding parliamentary elections in April, and there’s a feeling of palpable change in what was until recently among the most isolated countries on the planet. The World’s Mary Kay Magistad returned to Myanmar for the first time in 17 years to bring us these stories.

A Fresh Look at Myanmar

Mary Kay Magistad speaks with anchor Lisa Mullins about the changes she’s seeing in Myanmar. For one thing, you can buy Aung San Suu Kyi t-shirts at the airport. More>>>

Aung San Suu Kyi on Campaign Trail in Myanmar Election

The mood among the throng of Aung San Suu Kyi supporters on the side of the road, hoping to catch a glimpse of her on the way to her rally, is nothing short of exuberant. “Mother Suu! Mother Suu!” they shout. They wave miniature flags of the National League for Democracy (NLD) – Aung San Suu Kyi’s party. They wear flag stickers on their face, and her picture on their t-shirts, t-shirts that are now openly displayed for sale around town, where for years it was risky even to say her name. More>>>

What It’s Like to Report in a Changing Myanmar

Now that the government of Myanmar is starting to open things up and institute reforms, it’s an exciting time to for journalists there. But as The World’s Mary Kay Magistad reports from the capital Yangon, journalists say they still operate under some restrictions — and some have still been imprisoned for what they write. More>>>

What it Takes to Get a Business off the Ground in Myanmar

Myanmar (Burma) is changing fast and that includes new opportunities for entrepreneurs. The World’s Mary Kay Magistad met up with a Burmese-American and his Burmese partner who are trying to get an import business off the ground there.More>>>

Blog: Imagining the Political Changes in Myanmar Taking Place in China

It’s tempting as a China correspondent to look at the political changes sweeping Burma, and imagine their equivalent happening in China.

So, Nobel Peace Prize-winner, Liu Xiaobo, gets released from prison and is allowed to travel and speak freely in public. Other activists imprisoned for advocating greater democracy and more adherence to international human rights standards are also freed. Some media are still censored – but not all, and the restrictions keep changing, mostly ebbing away. There’s talk of starting a genuine dialogue with ethnic minorities that feel their civil and cultural rights have been trampled on, to find a way to be both more respectful and more inclusive [...] More>>>