An online Chin language weekly magazine in Burma has been banned because of carrying news broadcast by the Washington based RFA Burmese news recently.

The Radio Free Asia (RFA) Burmese news broadcast news about the outbreak of dengue in Thantlang Township, Chin state western Burma on August 15, which was in turn picked up from a story published by the Khonumthung News Group.  The authorities banned the online weekly magazine called the Maivan Cazual.

“The Maivan Cazual weekly online magazine published that many children were suffering from dengue fever and some schools were closed in Thantlang Township as a result. An irate Mr. Chit Ko Ko, Chairman of Thantlang Town Peace and Development Council banned the magazine accusing it of disseminating news to the outside world,” said a source close to the online magazine group.

The RFA had not used Maivan Cazual magazine as the source regarding the news of dengue being rampant in Thantlang but had picked it up from Khonumthung News as its main source.

A Chin student in Mizoram said, “It clearly reveals that there is no human rights and freedom of the press in Burma. Such news coverage is beneficial for the countrymen. Prohibiting such magazines mean the authorities are doing an injustice.”

Maivan Cazual magazine started being published in January 2009 by a Thantlang youth group as an online internet website updated once a week.

In Burma, most newspapers, magazines and journals are controlled by the junta’s notorious censor board. All printed publications are censored by the board. The board bans newspapers or magazines at will.