Nem Davies
October 15, 2007

The Burmese military junta has banned the use of pseudonyms of several writers and authors, who were involved in Swan offerings to monks during last month's protests.

Burmese writers and authors including Mar-J, Than Myint Aung, Soe Win Nyien, Oo Swe, Zaw Thet Htwe, Poe Phyu, Awpikye and prominent writer Ludu Daw Amar, have been barred from using their pen-names, after several involved themselves in the Swan offerings led by veteran politician U Win Naing on September 24.

"As for Mar-J, they said they found his picture among the people offering Swan and that's why he was banned," a Burmese writer in Rangoon said.

Though the Burmese writers have not been officially informed, any writing in their pen-names have been rejected by the Burmese censorship board without any reason being cited.

"Even stories on football, which are not even domestic but fall in the international sports news category, are being rejected. The writers were just analyzing how international players are performing. These write ups were not returned by the censorship board," a weekly sports journal editor told Mizzima.

An editor of a Rangoon based Magazine said banning the writers using pen-names does not only affect their writing skills but is like murdering the writers.

"In order to get make a pen-name acceptable, we have to work really hard and it is not an easy. By banning the pen-names the writer is as good as murdered," added the magazine editor.