BBC reporter Paul Danahar had to go to great lengths in order to report from Burma. A secret identity was just one method for avoiding the military intelligence agents who scoured the country looking for the journalist who dared to report on the devastation of Cyclone Nargis, which struck May 3.


BBC:

I woke up early, flushed my contacts and fake business cards down the toilet, sat on my bed and waited for the Special Branch.

They and the Burmese military intelligence had been after me for almost a week. I had become, briefly, the most wanted man in Burma.

My photo had apparently been circulated to every military checkpoint. My name was being scoured for among all the records of foreigners travelling around the country.

My crime, as they saw it, was to report on the cyclone that devastated the Irrawaddy Delta claiming thousands of lives.

Read more

WAIT, BEFORE YOU GO…

If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.

Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.

SUPPORT TRUTHDIG