Setting the record straight

2026-02-16 - 11:09

Frontier’s owner responds to allegations made by Myanmar Now that he is engaging with the junta. By PICHAI CHUENSUKSAWADI On February 10, Myanmar Now published an investigation into Frontier making the baseless accusation that it is part of a pro-military propaganda operation. Myanmar Now described this story as part of a more than year-long investigation on the hidden role of military intelligence in Myanmar media. Frontier’s former editor-in-chief Thomas Kean issued a response on the same day, and current editor-in-chief Thu Thu Aung expressed her views in a LinkedIn post a few days later. I would like to address here a sidebar story that Myanmar Now published along with its main report and which concerns me directly. The story said that the outlet can now “reveal” that, as the major shareholder of Frontier, I am “engaging with Myanmar military junta officials”. The article then quoted me as saying: “I continue to meet many former, and if possible, current government officials from many countries including Myanmar, to keep up to date with developments.” The piece omitted the rest of the quote, “(even if I strongly disagree with them)”. For clarity, as someone who has been a journalist for over three decades, I categorically reject any insinuation that I have any interests or association with Myanmar military junta officials beyond what I have already stated. The golden rule of journalists not revealing sources stays with me even after retiring from the Bangkok Post. I do not receive any benefits or influence from such parties. It was also claimed in the article that another “business associated with Frontier Myanmar is a data agency that collects information on what people are saying online for its clients, which Sonny Swe has publicly stated include embassies”. No such business exists. This appears to be the result of a misunderstanding about a custom media monitoring service that Frontier provided between 2021 and March last year. I have always been proud to be associated with Frontier and long admired the professionalism and dedication of its leadership and the whole team of editors, reporters and staff. I look forward to supporting Frontier as best I can.