Burma forms ‘spokespersons and information team’ to control news leak-out

In accord with Section 24, Subsection (a) of the Union Government Law, Spokespersons and Information Team has been formed with the following persons in order that it can assume the duties of releasing news and information and holding press conferences occasionally regarding the political, economic, security, military and natural disaster affairs of the State, the state newspapers said.

Spokespersons and Information Team has been shaped with 11 members and they are: (1) U Kyaw Hsan, Leader, Union Minister, Ministry of Information; (2) Brig-Gen Kyaw Zan Myint, Member, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Home Affairs; (3) U Maung Myint, Member, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; (4) U Soe Win, Member, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Information; (5) U Myint Thein, Member, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Labour; (6) U Tun Tun Oo, Member, Deputy Attorney-General, Union Attorney-General’s Office; (7) MPF Chief Kyaw Kyaw Tun, Member, Chief Myanmar Police Force; (8) Col Lu Aye, Member, Brig-Gen General Staff, Office of Commander-in-Chief (Army); (9) U Tin Myo Kyi, Member, Director-General, Union Government Office; (10) U Ye Min, Member, Deputy Director-General, President Staff Office; (11) U Zaw Min Oo, Secretary, Managing Director, News and Periodicals Enterprise.

The purpose of the info team seems to bar other government officers and staff engaging the media. They are already warned not to leak out information to the media especially to exile media. So, the government information team will act as an info filter mechanism which will prevent government confidential facts and statistics from seeping out.

Burma’s parliament nominated Thein Sein as the country’s eighth president on 4 February 2011. The same day, a Rangoon court sentenced Maung Maung Zeya, a journalist working for Democratic Voice of Burma, an independent exile radio and TV station, to a total of 13 years in prison for violating the Unlawful Association Act, Immigration Act and Electronics Act.

Three journalists who were given long prison terms by a kangaroo-court in November 2008 – Zarganar, Zaw Thet Htwe and Thant Zin Aung – are still in prison.

An information ministry statement to exempt sports and entertainment periodicals from prior censorship by the notorious Press Scrutiny and Registration Department (PSRD) is just a showcase tactic to deceive the media watchdogs.

In his inaugural address on 30 March, Thein Sein portrayed the new cabinet as a constructive body.

“We must also respect the role of the media as a fourth estate,” he said. But, in spite of a rhetoric address measured to provide the military-backed government a more trustworthy image, journalists remain under constant close watch. Those suspected of sending video footages or reports on day-to-day situation to exile media are always under close watch by the special branch intelligence units.

For instance, during 10 May press conference by the Rangoon regional government, Nyan Tun Oo, regional minister for education, health, foreign affairs and immigration, informed journalists of the government’s intention that government will not allow media coverage, which they think likely be sensitive to national security.

“On the subject of freedom of press, reporters can record stories if they are not sensitive to the state. If media coverage causes danger to the state or our citizens’ security, no one can cover it,” Nyan Tun Oo said during a press conference at the city’s parliament building.

The press conference was the first official meeting of regional government ministers and the media personnel held by the Rangoon administration since the USDP regime was sworn in on March 30.

According to then Irrawaddy News report, when the editor of Snap Shot Journal, Myat Khaing, questioned the minister, he responded by saying that he would stop the press conference immediately if journalists cross-examined him or asked “colored” questions.

President Thein Sein oversees a cabinet whose 30 members are mostly former army officers and has inherited the “directed democracy” system created by his predecessor, Gen Than Shwe, head of the previous military junta.

Freedom of expression, information and association is controlled by more than half a dozen laws, the violation of which, may be, and in fact is, widely sanctioned by 3 to 20 years in prison.

Burmese People are suspicious on this Formation of Spokespersons and Information Team as the information minister who controlled the PSRD becomes team-leader. This information team will take responsibility to answer the media including private journals through press conference. The team certainly will pay attention to cut questions made by journalists so as to avoid secrets of the government.

It looks like a kind of limitation to the press freedom plus freedom of expression since the hardliner information minister Kyaw San, who also took the same post in previous junta, takes charge of the team.