News of Attacks Hard To Find In Burma

September 17, 2001—The National League for Democracy (NLD), Burma’s main opposition party, issued a statement on September 13th condemning the recent terrorist attacks in America, while Burma’s ruling military government has remained silent. The NLD statement described a series of attacks carried out against the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. on September 11th as "totally inhuman and cowardly." The NLD also expressed its sorrow over the deaths of thousands of innocent people killed in the attacks. According to US-based news agencies and officials, the death toll has now risen to over 5,000. Meanwhile, the military regime, known as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), has been quiet about the attacks and has yet to condemn the perpetrators or offer any condolences to the victims. It is not yet known what impact the terror in America will have on Burma. News about the attacks in America is scarce in Rangoon and throughout Burma due to heavy-handed censorship in the military-ruled country. The state-run newspaper, the New Light of Myanmar, and the state-run Myanmar Television (MRTV) briefly announced the attacks a day after they occurred. "We are very anxious to know about the attacks, but the news has not appeared in most of the Burmese journals," said one person in Rangoon. Only The Myanmar Times, in its edition dated September 14th, covered the attacks. The weekly newspaper, which is run by an Australian editor, is believed to have close ties to high-ranking military intelligence officials. The paper reportedly sold out as soon as it hit the stands last week. A bookseller in Rangoon told The Irrawaddy: "The Myanmar Times is the only journal that has reported the attack so far. Some other journals owned by the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) have not reported anything." Because of the junta’s continued censorship of all news in Burma, the Burmese people rely heavily on short-wave radio stations like Radio Free Asia (RFA) and the BBC’s Burmese-language service for information. RFA, which is based in Washington, D.C., began to cover the attack minutes after it occured. "We would know nothing about the attack if we only watched and listened to the government radio and TV," said a Burmese man in Rangoon, "But we are able to receive news from RFA and the BBC."