Nine Burmese journalists released after interrogation

by Nem Davies

Thursday, 22 May 2008 18:36

Burmese military junta authorities on Sunday released nine Burmese journalists, who were in the Irrawaddy delta to cover the devastation wrought by Cyclone Nargis. They were detained briefly and interrogated. The journalists from four different Weekly journals in Rangoon were rounded up by local authorities while they were inside a house of a local resident in Hlaine Bone Kyi village, in Maw Gyun Township, Irrawaddy Division on Saturday night, sources in Rangoon said. "They were picked up from a local resident's home not from a hotel, a few hours after they arrived in the village but were released after being interrogated briefly. They were made to sign a pledge agreeing 'not to come back to the village again'," said an editor from a Rangoon based weekly journal, who did not want to be named. The authorities accused the group of not reporting their trip to the village to local authorities. "They [authorities] asked who they were, the purpose of coming to the place, and which organization they belonged to and asked to leave on Sunday morning," the editor added. "They reached on Saturday evening and were called by military officials the same night and were asked to leave on Sunday morning after signing an agreement," the editor said. The Burmese Media Association (BMA), a Burmese media freedom watchdog, lambasted the government for imposing restrictions on local journalists in covering the devastated delta region, saying it not only violates freedom of journalists but also violates freedom of expression. "By restricting journalists from visiting cyclone hit places, the authorities are trying to hide the actual situation, which is unnatural," said Son Moe Wai, Secretary of the Burma Media Association (BMA). "The government should rather hold press conferences, and release statements on the real situation of the cyclone victims and shortage of relief material in rural areas in the delta, instead of unnecessarily restricting journalists," he added. The Burmese junta had announced on May 9 that it would allow aid supplies from the international community to the cyclone affected regions, but imposed restrictions on foreigners or persons without permits to enter the Irrawaddy delta and Rangoon Division. The Burmese Prime Minister has also reportedly told private companies which are assigned to do the reconstruction work in the cyclone affected Irrawaddy and Rangoon divisions that no one will be allowed to carry cameras. < Prev   Next >