Chin state authorities stopped publication of The Hakha Post newspaper in Lai (Chin) language in Hakha, the Chin state capital, on 29 September. The Hakha Post said that its editor Lalawmpuia has been asked to stop printing the Hakha Post at the District office in Hakha by the District Administrator and the Township Administrator on 30 September.
The Editor, Lalawmpuia said that Chin State Government had ordered the Hakha Post, through the district administrator, not to publish before getting official registration, if not they will take legal action.
In fact, The Hakha Post is applying to get official registration at the Township, District and State level. They have made arrangements to register in Yangon soon.
Meanwhile, other print media have not been ordered to stop publication by the state government, though they are not yet registered by the Ministry of Information. When the Hakha Post Editor asked the district administrator about this he said that he did not know the reason for this as the order came from higher authorities.
U. Sing Tam, secretary of Hakha Township Printing & Publishing, had asked the Hakha Post to report to him whether it had official registration or not on 22 September and it had to inform him by 26 September. The Hakha Post informed him that they did not yet have official registration, and after that the order came to stop publication.
Currently, there are 20 Chin print media in Chin state, of these Khonumthung News, Chin World Media and The Chin Land Post are registered under the Ministry of Information.
