Pro-junta Article Lashes out VOA, BMA and CJFE for Canadian Press Award
By Tin Maung Htoo
Burma Media Association
Toronto- Dec 5, 2001-- The article published on the junta's mouthpiece New Light of Myanmar on Dec 4 renewed the attack on the honoring the International Press Freedom Award to a imprisoned journalist Myo Myint Nyein while further assaulting to those who broadcast, nominated and offered the award to him.
The article "Those Who Daren't Show Their Face - 27" written by Pauk Sa slammed the term used by VOA for Myo Myint Nyein as Political Prisoner is "not all correct." "Myo Myint Nyien [is] not concerned with politics but criminal cases," the writer inserted in the article.
However, according to various documents obtained by BMA indicates that he was on trials under the section 5 of the 1950 Emergency Provision Act, which especially deals with political activists in dismantling dissent views and activities against government in power with harsh and arbitrary detention. Apart from this, his case is widely known in Burma that he was arrested in 1990 shortly after producing a satirical poem-booklet "What has become of us?" written by Min Lu. The poet Min Lu was also arrested and sentenced seven years imprisonment under the same section.
Myo Myint Nyein's second trial in 1995 was also involved with section 5 (E) and sentenced seven years in prison with hard labor for "writing and distributing seditious literature and drawing cartoons and illustrations aimed at discrediting the State." Both sentences altogether took him to serve in prison for 14 years. However, there is no appearance of criminal record in his cases as the writer alleged.
Further, the article tries to degrade the integrity of Myo Myint Nyein, stating "he has never worked for any newspaper as editor." and "he is just a pop editor as he cut out pictures and wrote about pop with the use of these pictures." It is very clear that the writer only seems to understand the description for journalists as those who are only working in newspaper section. However, the Webster Dictionary (1913) describes the meaning of a journalist as "the conductor of a public journal, or one whose business it to write for a public journal; an editorial or other professional writer for a periodical." Myo Myint Nyein worked as an editor many years for monthly "Pay Phu Hlwar" magazine in Burma. Besides, what the writer did not notice is that Myo Myint Nyein was awarded international press freedom award not just because of being a professional editor and journalist but because of practicing and advocating freedom of expression in Burma.
Likewise, the organization that bestowed the award is not "Canada Journalists Association (CJFE)" that falsely stated in the article. And it is Canadian Journalist for Free Expression (CJFE), which is advocating freedom of expression and honoring those who are remarkably fighting for this right with the International Press Freedom Award.
The writer also boosted as if he could crash the list of 24 journalists into pieces with the previous article published on New Light of Myanmar on August 13 and 14. "Now, out of the 24 persons proposed for the press freedom award, ex-magazine editor Myo Myint Nyein was [only] given the award." It could perhaps delight to the writer, however, the reality is quick far from what he thought.
BMA nominated all journalists and writers being detained in Burma in order to draw attention on their sufferings and sacrifice. The decision to nominate those 24 prisoners of conscience is that they have been serving additional sentences for their involvement in free media movement in Insein prison, which took place in 1995. However, after getting informed of the procedure of nomination by CJFE, BMA altered group nomination into individual.
Hence, it should be clear that alteration took place in the form of nomination is not because of Pauk Sa's pointing and writing bad thing about those 24 prisoner of conscience, but merely because of existing nomination procedure. In the meantime the writer Pauk Sa raised a question in regard with BMA.
" I would like to ask those from BMA if they have worked for any newspapers and done duties related to the media in Myanmar."
Of course, we do have lots of respectful people worked for Burma media and newspapers for many years once they lived in Burma. For instance, U Thoung, U Ye Khoung, U Win Khet, U Tin Moe, and U Maung Taya, among others to show up. These senior editors, writers and reporters have sacrificed a lot for the country, for the sake of free media, but not for the existence of repressive government in Burma.
Moreover, the article also criticizes CJFE for offering the award, swearing, "they will find that their conscience is not clear at all." However, the Canadian Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, once-famous journalist and writer, praised Myo Myint Nyein and a fellow award-winner Tajikstan journalist in award gala in Toronto, adding, "these people have real 'selves'. They don't have to make them up, disguise themselves, or pretend to be anything other than what they are." She also left a reminder in the speech that could be now a Christmas gift for the pro-junta propaganda writer and those who oppress freedom of expression in Burma, "destroying a man doesn't mean that he ceases to exist, silencing somebody doesn't mean that they cease to be heard either."
The Burma Media Association is an independent organization established by overseas Burmese journalists, reporters and writers who practice and advocate freedom of expression in Burma. For further information: Web site News subscription Contact: 519-686-4745, htoo@excite.com 202-309-1090, MikeM2525@yahoo.com