A majority of Arakanese people living in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State, have stopped listening to Pyinsawaddy FM radio after it began propagating the Burmese military junta’s policies on a daily basis.

A young musician in Sittwe said that the radio station has become unpopular among Arakanese after it began airing the junta’s policies during its daily programmes.

Pyinsawaddy FM launched in Sittwe on March 27, 2009, as an entertainment radio station was the first daily FM radio programme in Arakan. It is on air from 6 am to 10 pm daily.

"Arakanese people now realize why the junta set up the Pyinsawaddy FM radio station in Sittwe. They earlier thought that the station would be useful for Arakanese because it aired in Arakanese language. But the reality is different, as the station is airing all programmes related to junta’s policy in Burmese," a Sittwe politician said.  

Pyinsawaddy FM airs programes in Arakanese language, but only for 15 minutes twice a day - once in the morning and again in the evening. It also airs some Arakanese songs in order to attract listeners.

"We sometimes listened to both popular Arakanese and Burmese songs on Pyinsawaddy FM, but now we are boycotting the station because it propagates junta’s policies to our people. Now it is airing many pro-election features," a student from Sittwe University said.  

Pyinsawaddy FM is not only airing programmes in Arakan State but also in Irrawaddy Division. Many townships in Arakan State are able to listen to the radio station.

"The people of Arakan are very poor and most are struggling with the economic crisis, but the radio always airs news that the state of Arakan is improving and developing under military rule. Such propaganda is increasing the anti-junta sentiment among the people because it is far from the truth," the student said.

The junta allowed several FM radio stations to begin airing entertainment programmes in Burma in 2009, after Burmese people stopped listening to the state-owned Myanmar radio due to the plethora of government propaganda. The authorities now use the FM radio stations to disseminate its propaganda and attempt to mobilize people to support the ensuing election.