New Delhi – A secret directive sent by the Burmese military government's Information Ministry to set up a press committee in each ministry has sparked speculation and renewed fear among the media community in Rangoon that the little space that it does enjoy might be even further curtailed.
The directive, issued two weeks ago, intends to stem the flow of information relating to government departmental news and to increase censorship. The domestic journal community is now bracing for a far more oppressive media environment in Burma.
"The media space will likely become more constricted. The media community will run into a wall while covering departmental news because senior officials of the concerned ministry and department will not disseminate news. They will make evasive denials in issuing official news. So, the media space will be more stifling," a veteran magazine editor from Rangoon told Mizzima.
Another editor, who wished not to be named, said, "After setting up these press committees, the departments will control and withhold official news. The situation will be worse than before."
Though it has been over two weeks since the directive, only three ministries have managed to set up such press committees so far, an editor from a privately owned journal said.
"They will assign four or five press officials with at least the rank of 'Director' to each press committee. Then they will hold regular meetings, probably weekly, over issuing official departmental news. They will coordinate with the Information Ministry in this regard," he said.
"They will assign each official specific work on a weekly basis after holding meetings such as who will speak on what topic. They will not respond to telephonic queries and will ask media persons to come to their office," he added.
Rangoon media community speculates that this could be a step adopted by the junta to further its strategy to 'counter media with media'.
Journalists in Rangoon also speculate that the government departments will tighten and have closer coordination among them to keep tabs on the flow of information. The directive is to issue only information that the concerned ministry wishes to give out.
"After studying what they said and what I heard, they will issue only statements that the information department wants them to. The departments cannot go beyond that. Another factor is the centralization of official departmental news releases," a veteran magazine editor said.
But Son Moe Wai, secretary of the exile-based Burma Media Association, said the formation of press committees in each ministry is a good move if it aims at effectively disseminating information.
"If the press committees in each ministry disseminate information accurately and regularly, it is a welcome step," Son Moe Wai said.
But, he added, if it aims to control the flow of media and restrict the dissemination of news it does not help. "We journalists want accurate news and information."
Son Moe Wai expressed his fear that the junta's press committees might become like the earlier contact points that it had created in each ministry. He said the contact points, which the junta had formed about two years ago, were not doing an effective job and were instead blocking information and refusing to answer to journalists.
"If these committees are to be like the contact points, it does not make any difference," he concluded.
