What would be the formation of our lives, if we have no freedom and human rights? There woul be no creativity and individual growth. According to ICCPR (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights), part III, Article 19, No2, it states that everyone should have the right to freedom of expression, this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art or through any media of his choice・(Human rights for all, articles, n.d;). The military regime in Burma has restricted access to every form of media. As a result, the Burmese people lack real information about their own country and the outside world. By restricting media access, the Burmese military junta can maintain its authority and power. For that reason, the Burmese people have been denied the rights to choose their own form of news media.
The Burmese government has seized on the Internet as a method of protecting government. the websites of human rights groups for instance, watchdog.org, the independent news agencies run by Burmese exile journalists who focus on Burma's cureent issues, and critical of the govervonment and those supporting Daw Aung San Suu Kyi are banned (Internet filtering in Burma, 2005). According to the ONI (Open Net Initiative) research, 85 percent of tested web-based email services are blocked as well as 65 percent of pornographic sites. Moreover, 24 percent of tested gambling sites are blocked (VOA News, 2005). Many web sites are prohibited to visit as inappropriate web sites and are blocked because of inappropriate contents. For example, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi website, www.dassk.org which supports the dissident situation within the country is also prohibited. The word "inappropriateness" in context of Burma is not pornographic content or incitement to terrorism, but the threat to the military junta's dictatorship"said IFJ (the international federation of Journalists) President Christopher Warren (Ban lifted, 2005). According to the ONI ( Open Net Initiative) research, 85 percent of tested web-based email sevices are blocked. Burmese internet users always experience the phrase "Access has been denied". The restricted access to electronic media results in repression of political dissent. So, generally, people have no knowledge about the country's political situation. Therefore, any kind of information should be avalible for the develpoment of Burmese people. In addition to the censorship of the internet, a person who possesses unregistered computers, software and associated telecommunication devices and is caught into prison. Users of unregistered cordless telephone, in the country face up to three years imprisonment, and a steep fine. In 1996, James Nichols, a pro-democracy icon was arrested for illegal use of a fax machine (General info, n.d ;). As in other world dissident communities, in Burma, a few percentages of city dwellers can access the Internet Network System. Reporters sans Frontiers reported that Burma has the population 48,364,000 and in 2003 there are only 30,000 internet users, which is 0.06 percent. In 2005, the users rose slightly to 70,000, i.e.; 0.14 percent (Myanmar Computer News, 2005). However this gradual increase is a very small number compared to the nation total population. In addition, the government owns all electronic media and controls print publication through capricious licensing requirements (International, 2002). Burma has only two internet service providers-Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) and Bagan Cybertech. There is no public access available to the internet but via Intranet systems under their control with high price for an individual connection. Hunter (2005) informed us that now MPT plans to charge US$ 200 per month for a single connection. Not everyone can afford all these expenses and maintenance which are really expensive. "Internet Filtering in Burma in 2005: A Country Study" released by the Open Net Initiative (ONI), reported that Burma's internet censorship is getting worse by using more sophisticated softwares from foreign IT companies. The latest firewall is brought from Fortinet, US based IT company. This software is considered one of the most advanced spying software program (Parker, 2005).
Crobitz, the president of Dow Jones Electronic Publishing said that the economic opportunities on the internet would be locked, if the government restricts too much(Conference comments, 2003). The economic situation in Burma is bleak. For instance, in February 2003, the major bank crisis hit the country's 20 private banks, shutting them down and disrupting the economy to serious macroeconomic imbalances (Economy, n.d.;). To conclude this point, the overall situation in Burma is worsening due to no freedom of information on the internet. Therefore, the information of the economic oppotunities should be made available to everyone.
In terms of freedom of information, printed material plays an important role to educate and inform people. When the fact comes to freedom of information, print deserves the same attention as the internet; cyberspace or satellite broadcasts (Conference comments, 2003). According to CPJ (The Committee to Protect Journalists), Burma is one of the world's harshest places to be a journalist. Journalists in Burma have to work under threatening conditions which subjected to imprisonment for the slightest expression of dissent. For example, a well known journalist U Win Tin, aged 74, was still serving a twenty years sentence. He was arrested in 1990 by agents of the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) for "writing and distributing seditious pamphlets and threatening state security" (Update news, 2005). Another striking example is that in November 2003, the editor of "First Eleven" sports journal was sentenced to death, under section 112/1 of a special act for high treason. He was charged on "committing high treason by plotting to murder senior government figures" after writing about corruption in Burmese Football Associations (Resolutions on Burma, 2004). On 1 August, the PSRD (Press Scrutiny and Registration Division) introduced new press laws. At the beginning of this year, the Major Tint Swe told that there will be more flexible censorship policies (Censorship continues, 2005). For example, the Burmese edition of Myanmar times (bilingual weekly newspaper) on 18 August was banned due to the article about new press laws (New press law, 2005). The PSRD can determine not only the content but also the quantities. All books, magazines, periodicals, songs, films must be submitted to the PSRD before printing and again afterwards to check that there is no changes (State-controlled media, n.d). So, the reader always experiences pages missing pages or some phrase covered by silver ink. Thus, in fact, the new press law has tightened censorship more then ever. Therefore, the censorship of printed materials is extreme and should be relaxed in order to allow people to impart accurate information.
Furthermore, the dictators used the state runs newspapers, two television channels and radio broadcasting as propaganda organs in order to implement their monopoly power throughout the country. The television programs are more propaganda than entertaining or informative. "The television programs are full with lengthy news reports about footages of army officers attending meetings and visiting monasteries"(In the dark, 197-212). Although the government allows the reception of a foreign satellite television, they often cut the transmissions when the channels report Burma's plight and the government's crimes. For example, when the BBC world news on 18 November 2004 showed a program about Burmese refugees, then they immediately blocked the segment (Dictator Watch, n.d). Moreover, the BBC news, "Burmese TV broadcasts from Norway", reported that DVB broadcasts two hours weekly to benefit the Burmese people (BBC news, 2005). However, many satellite service providers claimed that they can not find the setting that transmits DVB television (News, 2005). The Burmese language radio from foreign stations such as the BBC, RFA, DVB, and VOA are the only reliable information sources for the majority. For example, the state runs newspaper informed us about the bomb attack in Yangon on 4 May this year that there was only 11 people were killed and 162 injured, although eyewitness reports suggested the actual number of death might be more than 30 (News, 2005). The government wants to cover up all kinds of information even accidents or natural disasters. A 45 year old school teacher answered the Irrawaddy interview that they (people in Burma) have to rely on foreign short wave radios for accurate information (News, 2005). Listening to the foreign radio broadcasting may be a path to the prison. For example, a 70 year old farmer from Kachin state has been sent into two years prison term on charge of turning on VOA in a tea shop loudly (News, 2002). This is in violation with Article 19 and so, the government shoudld stop abusing human rights to seek and convey true information.
Htein Win, Director of Bagan ISP told the Myanmar Times that the people are banned from access to free emails and sites which could have an ill effect on Burmese culture (Daily News, 2005). The junta wants to protect its people from images of sex and violence in foreign websites. Although there is an element of truth in this claim, they have many other ways to promote Burmese ethics and morality. The government also launched a "Cultural Revolution" campaign in 1991 to protect Buddhist religion and culture from decadent Western ideas (State-controlled Media, n.d). Another example to promote the Burmese culture is teaching Burmese culture as one curriculum in school. So to speak, they do not really care about to maintain culture but they afraid of free flow of information. As we have seen, there is only 0.14 percent of internet users in Burma. So, the censorship of the internet is designed to control free flow of information. If they really want to maintainthe Burmese culture, why are the STDs (sextually transmitted diseases) increasing? According to the UNAIDS figures said that Burma had highest infection rate among prostitutes and heroin users in 2004. There are 610,000 people infected with HIV and the source said that it is increasing alarmingly (News, 2005). Therefore, the idea to protect ethics and morality is just an excuse for the government to limit human rights. if the morility and culture are to be protected then, the government should provide information about Burmese culture As we have seen, the military junta said that they want toprotect people from viloence, however, they like to create violence which is always opposite to what they claim in the newspaper. On June 2004, the New Light of Myanmar said that "Myanmar works for peace and progress in an honest and autonomous fashion" (Burma report, 2004). On May 30, 2003, in Depayin in northern Burma, Union Solidarity Development Association (USDA), a mobilization organization created by the SPDC attacked the NLD (National League for Democracy) (Depayin incident, 2004). They create not only violence but also communal clashes. Moreover, in 1996, they created communal clashes among Muslims and Buddhists in order to prevent the university student's rebel.
By looking at the above examples, it can be concluded that the restriction of communication and flow of information on every medium only benefits the military junta. It is designed to maintain the power sources that guarantee the stability of the dictatorship. Although the government always claim on the state runs newspapers that they worked for people's benefit. But, the country's poverty and the people's plight shows that they are working only for themselves. Unlike, the democratic countries, the authorities ban what they called "inappropriate materials" to protect their people. The purpose of military junta restriction access of information is very different from that of other democratic countries. That is why I strongly appose the military junta's restrictions on media. The censorship on any media with ill effects should stop. If the Burmese people really want to achieve democracy, first they should have the freedom to access information through any media.
