16. Eluding the Censors

By Karen Coates

Image described by surrounding text.

Young men check their Facebook pages at a restaurant in Yangon, Myanmar, over beers and dinner. The social network is improving access to news in remote areas.

(Jerry Redfern)

Squeezed between China and Vietnam, Phongsali is the northernmost province of Laos, a land of mountains, valleys and isolated villages that is home to more than 15 ethnic groups. As recently as a few years ago, news traveled through Phongsali at a pace akin to regional traffic: slowly, on a bumpy route rife with potholes and disruptions.

The communist government of Laos keeps tight reins on all print and broadcast media, and ...

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