Aung Kyi signals positive outcome for Myanmar Media

Photo: @ cambodia.

Aung Kyi, the new Information Minister of Myanmar disclosed that the government will permit private daily newspapers to come out soon. This is in answer to the clamour of journalists to fully exercise their rights to Press freedom.

President Thein Sein has loosened media restrictions as part of his reforms in the Board of Censorship by eliminating direct censorship that took effect last month. However, the private groups were not given the permission to circulate daily newspapers, according to Reuter’s reports.

Initially, there are two important requirements for private dailies to come into sight. First, the creation of Press Council which will stand for the journalists and media personnel and new making of Media Law that is acceptable to all.

Figures show that there are 200 private weeklies and 4 state-owned dailies in Myanmar operated by the Ministry of Information and Ministry of Defence. Content of such dailies consists of the same propaganda.

Thein Myint, managing editor of Eleven Media, a private publishing house stressed that they appreciate the action of the new minister provided that licences must not be applied. No special privileges must be rendered to chosen people or individuals. It should be an open registration to enable private dailies to compete freely and fairly.

It was on August 20 when the direct media censorship ended making it easy for the journalists to exercise more freedom which was not allowed during half century of military ruling that ended in March last year.

Reforms on censorship have been implemented since June last year. The Ministry of Information allowed the publication of privately owned weekly journals and monthly magazines without providing the board of censors page proofs in advance, said news report from Reuters.

Changes has been widely implemented in the country such as the freedom to organize protests rally and demonstrations, elections were allowed and the right to vote was experienced without encountering any problem and political prisoners were freed.

Aung Kyi