Chronology of the Press in Burma

1989—After taking power again, the military amends the 1962 Printers and Publishers Registration Act to heavily increase the fine payable by offenders.

April 1993—The regime changes the name of the Loktha Pyithu Nezin (the Working People’s Daily) to Myanma Alin (the New Light of Myanmar) that was banned in 1969.

Mid-1990s—The junta launches the Kyemon that was also nationalized in 1964.

1997—US-based Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ, describes Burma and Indonesia as the region’s two foremost enemies of the press. Yet, since the fall of Suharto in the same year, Indonesia’s mass media blossoms, leaving Burma as the region’s number one adversary of the press.

February 2000—The English-weekly Myanmar Times & Business Review is launched by an Australian businessman and military officials. Sonny Swe, the son of Brig-Gen Thein Swe who is a high ranking Military Intelligence officer, is the deputy CEO of the journal. Later, it starts to publish a Burmese-language version.

April 28, 2004—An international pro-democracy group, Freedom House, ranks Burma as one of the top five “Worst of the Worst” countries for press freedom in the world.

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References:

Index of Burma Newspapers, Volumes 1 and 2, by Htin Gyi

A Journalist, A General and An Army in Burma, (1995), by U Thaung

Inked Over, Ripped Out, by Anna J. Allott

Burma, Laos, and Cambodia, Status of Media in, by Bertil Lintner

His Majesty's Newspaper, by Htin Gyi

Some Early Newspapers in Myanmar, by Hla Thein

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This chronology was posted May 3, 2004—Newspapers during the period of the 1940s-1960s will be updated at a later stage.

UPDATED IN MAY 2004