by Nem Davies
Saturday, 07 November 2009 13:46
New Delhi (Mizzima) – Burmese journalists have welcomed the junta for allowing them to cover the meeting between two US diplomats and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi along with photographs.
Some Burmese media like ‘Myanmar Times’ Bi-weekly, Flowers Journal, Eleven Media Group reported online the meeting on November 4 during the two-day visit of US officials.
“Most media reported the news but not the state-run media. It totally depends on the Information Department. I think they want to show they have a positive attitude on the US by allowing the coverage in the private media,” an editor from a Rangoon based journal told Mizzima.
The Thai based ‘Burma Media Association’ (BMA) Vice-Chairman Zin Lin welcomed allowing the news coverage but cautioned that there is need to wait and see the essence of it.
The Eleven Media Group reported the news of US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs led delegation’s meeting with Suu Kyi in Rangoon’s Dusit Inya Lake Hotel along with at least 10 news photographs. It also covered the press conference by US officials at the Rangoon Mingaladon Airport before their departure.
The US wants a dialogue between the military regime, the National League for Democracy, ethnic groups for national reconciliation, the media reported.
In the state-run media, however, the meeting between US officials and Suu Kyi was not covered. It reported the news of the meeting with cabinet ministers, social organizations and ethnic organizations.
Yesterday’s issue of the ‘New Light of Myanmar’ and junta’s TV reported that San Suu Kyi refused to accept the junta’s offer of a meeting with all her NLD CEC members except Vice-Chairman Tin Oo on the request of Mr. Campbell. She refused on the ground of the exclusion of Tin Oo, it added.
In August the junta controlled media also extensively reported on US Democrat Party Senator Mr. Jim Webb’s visit to Burma, when he reportedly criticized US imposed sanctions and said it could not bring change in Burma. But it deliberately omitted other issues that Webb raised. He had also urged the junta to release political prisoners including Suu Kyi and to engage in a dialogue with the opposition.
The Burmese media community sees this new development as a ploy and exploitation of the media by the junta while tightly controlling the Press in Burma.
BMA Vice-Chairman Zin Linn also said, “Though an impression was sought to be given that there is media freedom in Burma if you see it superficially actually the government is exploiting the situation”.
“We have experienced such media control and withholding of news under successive regimes. There is no freedom for Burmese journalists here. Now the next generation has to struggle for media freedom,” he said.
(Edited by Ye Yint Aung)
Sunday, November 8, 2009
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