Burma’s state-run newspaper on 24 April carried an article that says satellite TV which enables people to watch international news and entertainment programs should be banned in Burma.
A writer, who identified himself as Ko Gyi claimed in an article on the 24 April issue of the "New Light of Myanmar" that powerful nations are exploiting the satellite channels to instigate unrest, and harm the culture of the people through entertainment programs that have hidden agendas.
The writer said that because of these, the government should prohibit the sales of satellite dishes and receivers, which are widely used in Burma.
A similar article appeared in the same daily newspaper on 17 February. The article said, "Restrict the watching of uncensored satellite TV programmes telecast by the outside world".
"We were surprised to see this article. This is a warning to our satellite dish shops. But [the government has] not done anything so far. We have to wait and see in the next 10-15 days," Nyi Nyi Naing, a salesman at TATA Sky satellite dish shop in Rangoon, told Mizzima.
The writer also wrote in the article, "Some people do not notice that satellite receivers are harmful to the morality of the viewers".
The article further said that in countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Pakistan and Iran, "the public are not allowed to use satellite receivers legally", the writer claimed.
While satellite dishes and receivers are not popularly used in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, locals are able to freely watch news programmes telecast by foreign news channels.
A Burmese citizen, John Moe, who is living in Jakarta said, "We pay a monthly fee of Indonesia Rupiah 150,000 and can watch foreign news channels such as BBC, CNN."
The article, while it is not an official government statement, is believed by Burmese media workers as an attempt to further tighten and systematically suppress media freedom in Burma.
Despite the absence of freedom of expression in their country, the Burmese can freely watch foreign news programs through satellite TV.
But since it is not affordable to pay the monthly official license fees, people are forced to install satellite receivers illegally, a local from Rangoon said.
"Most of the people installed these satellite receivers and dishes without a license. But as for us, it's difficult to pay monthly fees of Kyat 15,000", he said.
Sellers of the satellite dishes see the warning as an attempt to prepare the ground for a plan to levy taxes on the shops. The sale centres, however, doubt that this will cause a drop in their sales volume.
"Shops have long been selling satellite dishes. They cannot stop the illegal sales of these devices. VOA Burmese Service news channel can be tuned into in Burma by using TATA Sky," an official from Satellite Receivers Import Company said.
Burmese media in exile were able to broadcast news, pictures and videos of the junta’s brutal crackdown after the monk-lead revolt in 2007 through satellite TV.
In its drive to block the free flow of news and information to the outside world, the junta began arresting bloggers and domestic reporters, and handed down long prison sentences.
