Chronology of the Press in Burma

1962—The Burma Press Council, or BPC, is founded “to promote and preserve freedom of the press through a voluntary observance of a code of press ethics.” Writers and journalists from 52 newspapers, journals and magazines signed the BPC Charter.

Later that year, the Dictator Ne Win’s Revolutionary Council revokes all existing press laws and enactes a single law, the Printers and Publishers Registration Act. The act establishes Press Scrutiny Boards to scrutinize all material prior to publication, or in some cases after publication.

1963—The military government closes down the Nation, an outspoken defender of press freedom, arresting its editor Law Yone three months later.

July 1963—The government establishes the News Agency Burma.

October 1963—The government launches the Loktha Pyithu Nezin (the Working People's Daily) to compete with exiting private newspapers. In January 1964, the English version of the Working People’s Daily appears.

1964—Said to be the last year Burma enjoyed a free press, the government nationalizes all private newspapers, the liberal Kyemon (theMirror), Botataung (A Thousand Officers) and the Guardian. The left-wing Vanguard offers itself for nationalization. Smaller newspapers are shut down and several editors and journalists are arrested.

1966—The government announces that private newspapers are to be banned altogether.All Chinese and Indian language newspapers are stopped as printing is required to be done in Burmese or English language only.

1969—The right-wing Hanthawaddy and the Myanma Alin (the New Light of Burma) are nationalized. Eventually, only six newspapers are left: the Loktha Pyithu Nezin, the Botataung, the Kyemon and the Hanthawaddy, the Guardian and the Working People’s Daily.

The News Agency Burma controls the flow of news in and out of the country. All foreign correspondents, except those working for the Soviet Tass and China’s Xinhua, are expelled. Visits by foreign journalists are officially banned. Locally based foreign news agencies are forced to appoint Burmese citizens as correspondents that must be approved by the authorities. In the late 1990s, the British Broadcasting Company and the Voice of America pull out after being unable to appoint their own correspondents.

1974—The Socialist party’s new constitution grants freedom of expression. However, all forms of public expression are subject to Press Scrutiny Boards to ensure that these “freedoms” are only expressed within the accepted limits of the ‘Burmese Way to Socialism.’

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1988 – Until the Present

* In 1988 Burma enjoyed press freedom for the short time of one month due to pro-democracy uprisings. In 1997 Burma was labeled as the regions number one adversary of the press. Today, it has about 100 publications, all censored by Press Scrutiny Boards.

August - September 1988—After 26 years of silence, about 40 independent newspapers and journals, including the Light of Dawn, the Liberation Daily, Scoop, the New Victory and Newsletter, appear in Rangoon for about a month during the period of nationwide pro-democracy uprisings. The publications run political commentaries, biting satires and humorous cartoons of the rulers.

Even the state-run newspapers like the Guardian and the Working People's Daily publish outspoken political articles.

September 1988—Immediately after the military ceases power on September 18, all newspapers are banned except for the Loktha Pyithu Nezin and its English version, the Working Peopl’s Daily.