Censorship in Burma

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Censorship in Burma (or Myanmar) refers to government policies in controlling and regulating certain information, particularly on religious, ethnic, political, and moral grounds. Freedom of speech and the press are not guaranteed by law, and every publication (including newspaper articles, cartoons, advertisements, and illustrations) are censored by the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division of the Ministry of Information.^[1][2] In 2006, Burma ranked 164th of 168 nations in the 2006 Reporters Without Borders worldwide press freedom index.^[3] Many colonial-era laws regulating the press and information continue to be used.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Konbaung dynasty 1.2 Colonial era 1.3 Post-independence era 1.4 1988 coup d'état 1.5 Military rule 2 See also 3 References

[edit] History

[edit] Konbaung dynasty

During the reign of King Mindon Min of Burma's last dynasty, the Konbaung dynasty, the country had one of the freest presses in Asia. The Seventeen Articles, passed in 1873 safeguarded freedom of the press.

[edit] Colonial era

In 1878, after Lower Burma was annexed by Great Britain, the Vernacular Press Act was passed, which attempted to repress propaganda against the British government in local language newspapers. In 1898, the Criminal Procedure Code, which allowed the government to convict people with treason and sedition on grounds of disseminating false information against the state. Soon after, in 1908, the Unlawful Associations Act, was enacted to further stifle freedom of expression. The Official Secrets Act was passed in 1923, which makes it unlawful for any person to possess classified information from the state. A decade later, the Burma Wireless Telegraphy Act was passed, criminalizing possession of telegraphs without government permission.

[edit] Post-independence era

Burma gained independence in 1948. The Constitution of the Union of Burma (1947) guaranteed freedom of expression, guaranteeing the "liberties of thought and expression.^[4]. Two years later, the Emergency Provisions Act, which criminalized the spreading of false news knowingly and the slandering of civil servants and military officials was enacted. Despite the law, in the 1950s, Burma had one of the freest presses in Asia, with 30 daily newspapers (in Burmese, Chinese, English, and Indian languages). After the military coup d'état by Ne Win in 1962, the Printers and Publishers Registration Law was enacted. This law, still in function, requires all printers and publishers to register and submit copies of their publications to Press Scrutiny Boards, under the Ministry of Home and Religious Affairs (now under the Ministry of Information). In 1975, the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma (1975), Article 157, ensured "freedom of speech, expression and publication to the extent that the enjoyment of such freedom is not contrary to the interests of the working people and of socialism."^[5] The Memorandum to all Printers and Publishers Concerning the Submission of Manuscripts for Scrutiny was issued by the Printers and Publishers Central Registration Board. It gave explicit guidelines on materials that would be censored, including those whose contents were injurious to the Burmese socialist program, the state ideology, the socialist economy, national unity, security, peace and public order, pornographic in nature, libelous, slanderous, or critical of the national government. That same year, the State Protection Law was issued, allowing authorities to imprison any persons who have been suspected of being a threat to national peace. This law has been the basis for the arrests of many journalists and writers.

[edit] 1988 coup d'état

After a military coup d'état, led by the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), in 1988, martial law orders were quickly issued, banning public gatherings, banning activities, publications, and speeches aimed at dividing the Armed Forces, and criminalizing the publication of documents without registration with the state. Martial law orders have since been repealed.

[edit] Military rule

In 1996, several laws were passed to control further dissemination of information in Burma. These include the Law Protecting the Peaceful and Systematic Transfer of State Responsibility and the Successful Performance of the Functions of the National Convention against Disturbances and Oppositions, which prohibits activities aimed at destroying peace, stability, law and order. In addition, it illegalized acts of demeaning the National Convention. Media laws including the Television and Video Act, which requires owners of media players (including televisions, satellites, and videocassette recorders) to obtain licences from the Ministry of Communications, Posts, and Telegraphs and instituted Video Censorship Boards on domestic-produced videos, and the Motion Picture Law, which requires licenses issued by the Myanmar Motion Picture Enterprise in making films were passed. Films are subject to censorship by the Motion Picture Censor Board. In addition, the The Computer Science Development Law was passed. Under this law, all computer equipment must be approved by the Ministry of Communications, Posts, and Telegraphs. In addition, the distribution, transfer, or acquisition of information that undermines state security, national solidarity and culture, is a criminal offence. SLORC, in 1997, renamed itself the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). In 2000, the Internet Law, which prohibits posting of writings that are harmful to state interests, was issued by SPDC. Foreign news has also been censored by the government. British Broadcasting Corporation and Voice of America radio broadcasts were jammed, beginning in 1995.^[6] Foreign reporters are discouraged from reporting from Myanmar, and are regularly denied entry.^[6]

According to a study conducted by OpenNet Initiative in 2005, internet censorship is mostly confined to websites related to pro-democracy groups and those on pornography.^[7] In addition, 85% of e-mail service provider sites are blocked. The Myanmar Information Communications Technology Development Corporation (MICTDC) licenses cybercafés.^[7] Users are required to register, and owners are required to save screen shots of user activity every 5 minutes, and upon request, deliver them to MICTDC for surveillance. However, cybercafé regulation is loose.^[7]

[edit] See also

• Cinema of Burma

[edit] References

1. ^ Wai Phyo Myint. "Publishing rebounds" (HTML), The Myanmar Times, 2005-08-1. Retrieved on 2007-01-11. 
2. ^ Burma - Annual report 2006 (HTML). Reporters sans frontières (2006). Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
3. ^ Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2006 (HTML). Reporters sans frontières (2006). Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
4. ^ The Constitution of the Union of Burma. Democratic Voice for Burma (1947). Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
5. ^ The Constitution of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma. Printing and Publishing Corporation, Rangoon. Democratic Voice for Burma (1974). Retrieved on 2007-01-10.
6. ^ ^{a b} Venkateswaran, KS (August 1996). Burma: Beyond the Law (PDF). Article 19. Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
7. ^ ^{a b c} Internet Filtering in Burma in 2005: A Country Study (HTML). Country Studies. OpenNet Initiative (2005). Retrieved on 2007-01-11.