Burma abolishes media censorship

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News

Burma has abolished censorship of the country's media, the information ministry has announced.

The Press Scrutiny and Registration Department (PSRD) said that as of Monday, reporters would no longer have to submit their work to state censors before publication.

Burma has long kept a tight control over all aspects of its media.

But the civilian government has been gradually easing restrictions since taking office last year.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19315806

[nxylas]

1. Maybe they've looked at America and realised they don't need it

Who needs state censorship when you can just create a punditocracy willing to narrow the terms of political debate to the point where anything that falls outside state-approved hegemony is instantly dismissed as "radical" and "extreme"?

[LynneSin]

2. Burma is going to bloom as a country

I say give it 5 years or so and this place is going to be a massive vacation destination.

[argyl]

3. I'm retiring in five years and I've thought that by then Burma will be a wonderful destination.

[alp227]

4. Hmm. The Guardian also used Burma in its report about this event,

but the American NY Times used Myanmar.

[dipsydoodle]

5. Should it be Burma or Myanmar ? That issue has been raised before here on DU

The ruling military junta changed its name from Burma to Myanmar in 1989, a year after thousands were killed in the suppression of a popular uprising. Rangoon also became Yangon.

The Adaptation of Expression Law also introduced English language names for other towns, some of which were not ethnically Burmese.

The change was recognised by the United Nations, and by countries such as France and Japan, but not by the United States and the UK.

A statement by the Foreign Office says: "Burma's democracy movement prefers the form 'Burma' because they do not accept the legitimacy of the unelected military regime to change the official name of the country. Internationally, both names are recognised."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7013943.stm

The article also refers to common UK usage. Would probably be years before common usage here changed to Mynamar. I still use Ceylon for Sri Lanka - goes back to collecting stamps as a kid.