Burma still needs censorship: Information Minister

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Censorship of the Burmese media is still needed and freedom should not be granted to newspapers and journals at this time, Information and Culture Minister Kyaw Hsan told the Lower House of Parliament on Wednesday.

The minister made his comments in reply to a motion “to enact a law which can protect the rights to freedom of expression and opinion by the media and the right to disseminate and publish the news” by Rangoon Region Thingangyun constituency MP Thein Nyunt during deliberations.

The state-run Burmese language newspaper, New Light of Myanmar, reported that Kyaw Hsan said: “Although laws and courts have come into operation in Myanmar, press scrutiny still plays a role. If media personnel face their problems in court under the law, their losses may be heavier. In its control tasks, the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division may sometimes issue only warnings to the offenders and negotiate with both sides. Therefore, the division scrutinizes inappropriate writing against the nation and the people under the law for the sake of those from the literary world and the people.

“Media people should not try to express and publish disorderly information like they did in the 1988 unrest. Everyone must bear in mind that fabricated news resulted from the misuse of freedom and led to catastrophic events across the nation.”

On condition of anonymity, an MP said: “He said that our democracy movement is not yet mature and it still needs experience. So it still needs control.”

House speaker Thura Shwe Hman interrupted the minister's long speech because he took much time in replying to the motion, the MP added.

The Ministry of Information has already sent the media law bill and laws amending existing media laws to the Union Attorney General Office for suggestions, prompting MPs to put the motion moved by MP Thein Nyunt on the record.