Burma: “Kenji Nagai Award” or an Encouragement towards journalists under junta's oppression

http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/15729

Mon, 2009-02-23 02:35
By Zin Linn

Burma Media Association will have to launch its sixth annual conference (from 21 to 23 February 2009) in Chiang Mai. The association was formed in 2001by exile Burmese journalists and writers based in various countries. This year there will be a special event of delivering "Kenji Nagai Award" to an imprisoned female journalist in Burma.

The first award commemorating slain Japanese video journalist Kenji Nagai will be presented in the Burma Media Conference to a female reporter who reported about an area of the country that was devastated by Nargis cyclone last year. Last October, the media association made a proposal to set up the memorial award to Nagai's parents through APF News in Japan -- with which the Japanese journalist had a contract -- and the parents gave their consent to the idea.

Eint Khaing Oo, a 24 year old female journalist from Eco-vision journal, was arrested on 10 June 2008, while covering about a peaceful rally initiated by Nargis victims. Police accused her of taking photos of the victims with an intention of sending those pictures to foreign-media. She was charged under the Criminal Code section 505 (b) and 124 (a) of crime against public tranquility and sentenced to 2 years imprisonment. According to her lawyer Khin Maung Shein, she didn't commit any crime under this section. Eint Khaing is a reporter and she was doing her job. And the news was not based on untrustworthy data and she didn't send fictitious news to other news agencies. She is now in the notorious Insein Prison.


Burma was at the forefront of press freedom in Southeast Asia before 1962 military coup. The country enjoyed free press without censorship. As many as three dozen newspapers, including English and Chinese dailies, existed between 1948 and 1962 under civilian government. Even the prime minister’s office never closed for the journalists in those days. There were also freedom to set up relation with international press agencies.

The situation changed in 1962, when the military seized power. All newspapers were nationalized by the junta led by Gen. Ne Win. It established a Press Scrutiny Board (PSB) to enforce strict censorship on all forms of printed matter including advertisements and obituaries. Since then, military junta's censorship and self-censorship are commonplace in Burma and these have severely restricted political rights and civil liberties.

Press Scrutiny and Registration Division (PSRD) is a major oppressive tool of the incumbent military regime. Not surprisingly, Burma stands downgraded from a free state to a prison state. All news media in Burma are strictly censored and tightly controlled by the military -- all daily newspapers, radio and television stations are under supervision of the junta. Whatever some privately-owned journals and magazines are there, they are strictly under the PSRD scanner. No printed matter can bring out without PSRD permission.

The stratocracy took control of the censorship bureau after the purge of Prime Minister Khin Nyunt and his military intelligence office in October 2004. The Ministry of Information takes charge of censorship job and a new Press Scrutiny and Registration Division (PSRD) was established in April 2005. All publications were subjected to reregister with the PSRD. All periodicals have to follow providing detailed information about editorial-staff, ownership, and financial sponsorship.

Moreover, the junta also dominates the media industries through alternate publication companies owned by generals and their cronies. Photos, cassette tapes, movies and video footage also need the censor's stamp before reaching the people. At the same time, the military concentrates to stop the flow of uncensored radio news in Burmese version available from international broadcasting stations.

The radio, television and other media outlets are monopolized for propaganda warfare by the military regime and opposition views are never allowed. The regime even does not allow the religious discourse. The media is special tool for the military regime and no space for the opposition party. The political debates are not allowed even at the National Convention. That's why the National Convention lost its credibility and regarded as a sham.

The foreign periodicals with news reports on Burma have not been seen in the news-stands since September 2007. The owners of the Internet Cafes have been forced to sign an agreement to follow restrictions by the authorities and dare not allowing users to get out of the regime's filters. Moreover, the owners have to inform the details of their customers to the authorities. Currently, freedom of press situation in Burma is getting worse and worse. Media related people are feeling defenseless. Voices of peoples are constantly blocked.

Despite salvos of international condemnation over the lack of improvement on human rights abuses, especially freedom of expression and freedom of association, and talks with Aung San Suu Kyi, the junta envisaged to soften the pressure by allowing the United Nations special rapporteur for human rights, Tomas Ojea Quintana, to visit Yangon's notorious Insein prison on 16 February 2009.

U Win Tin, famous journalist of Burma who spent 19 years in junta’s jail, dismissed the special invitation of Mr. Quintana as he thinks it’s an agenda of the junta making a show-case to soften down the international pressure.

The International News Safety Institute (INSI) organized a regional conference on ‘Creating a Culture of Safety in the Media in Asia-Pacific’ (Dec. 15-16, 2008), which assembled participants from 11 countries. A member of Protection Committee for Burmese Journalists who wishes to remain anonymous said the junta had set up rules under a 2006 law on electronic media and 1996 law on film and computers that restricted how journalists could work.

Under the laws, journalists are not allowed to take pictures that might "pose a threat" to the regime, with wrongdoers facing up to 59 years in prison. Internet users are also under strict surveillance by the regime, which requires service providers to check every five minutes websites visited by users and to immediately report suspicious or dangerous activities.

In 2008, 12 journalists and bloggers were arrested in Burma, the Burmese Journalists Protection Committee says. Several popular websites, including yahoo.com and hotmail.com, have also been blocked as the junta further isolates its people from the outside world. Nay Phone Latt (age 28), who was arrested in January 2008, was sentenced to 20 years and 6 months in prison in November 2008 under video law and electronic acts. He was moved to Pa-an prison in Karen state of Burma in November 2008 from Insein prison in Rangoon.

Kyaw Ko Ko and Nyan Linn Aung from All Burmese Federation of Student Unions, were sentenced to 3-year imprisonment each by a Rangoon-township court on 9 February 2009 under the infamous ‘1996 Television and Video Law’.

However, on this 21 February 2009, Eint Khaing Oo becomes the first winner of "Kenji Nagai Award" which commemorating slain Japanese video journalist during Burma’s Saffron Revolution in September 2007. The Burma Media Association founded the award in honor of Mr. Nagai, who was shot dead while videotaping anti-junta demonstrations in Burma in 2007, to recognize those who have reported the truth about the junta-ruled country.

To give confidence and courage to the new blood of journalists in the military ruled country, Burma Media Association and Tokyo-based APF News Agency jointly founded the award in honor of the late "Kenji Nagai" who bravely made an effort to cover the Saffron Revolution of Burma in September 2007.

- Asian Tribune -