Military Restrictions On Kachin-Language Newspaper

Military Imposes Restrictions On Kachin-Language Newspaper

www.ifex.org/burma/2010/01/07/kachin_paper_restrictions/

NEW DELHI (Mizzima News/Pacific Media Watch): Members of the Burmese Army
will be editing the 2010 edition of the JingHpaw Mungdaw Nsen newspaper published
annually in the ethnic Kachin language.

The newspaper is published by the Manaw festival organizing committee to
commemorate Kachin State Day. It will be submitting all news stories and
articles to the army under the Northern Command headquarters for editing
once the items have been translated into Burmese.

"This year, the editing is being done by army officers and soldiers. We
have to translate all news and articles written in either English or Kachin
into Burmese," a member of the festival organizing committee told Mizzima.

The Regional Command headquarters told festival organizers that permission
to publish would not be granted unless they abided by the army's
instructions. Moreover, the regime warned the paper not to publish
"inappropriate" news.

Kachin State Day is on 10 January. The festival is being held from 5-11
January 2010, along with the Manaw dance.

The newspaper has been published annually since 2005 and contains
information on Kachin State, the ethnic Kachin people, their traditions,
background, history and the guests attending the Manaw festival. The
12-page newspaper was published in 2009 with circulation figures of over
1500 copies.

The Thailand-based Kachin News Group (KNG) reported that in Bamo four
members of the festival organizing committee were summoned and questioned
by junta officials for publishing daily newspapers and Manaw festival
papers without permission, and selling Manaw festival VCDs during the 2nd
Manaw harvest festival.

* Mizzima News: mizzima (@) mizzima.com www.mizzima.com

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