November 20, 2007

Rumors are swirling around Burma's literary and publishing fraternity that a Rangoon based weekly journal has been barred from publishing on orders from Nay Pyi Taw, Burma's new jungle capital from where the generals rule.

The Snapshot News journal was stopped from publishing its November 23 issue, sources in the literary community said.
However, the reasons behind banning the weekly, is still not clear.

An official from the Snapshot News journal told Mizzima, "I don't know a thing, but it has not been banned. We are just shutting down for a week. Only our editor and the [Burmese] censorship board are aware of the details."

The 'Snapshot News' journal's editor, Myat Khaing could not be contacted for his comment.

A Rangoon based editor of a weekly, citing the close proximity between the authorities and the Snapshot News journal, however, said, "It cannot be true that it has been banned [by the government]. If they are closing, it is probably because they are posting losses."

Another Rangoon based journal editor, who wished not to be named, expressed surprise at the information that the Snapshot News journal is closing down, saying that the Snapshot editor Myat Khaing is close to the authorities and does not publish any anti-junta articles or news.