Mizzima News

New Delhi – The Censor Board of the Burmese Ministry of Information is at it again, clamping down on articles it has a distaste for. Now it has banned the publication of the July issue of 'Padaukpwinthit' magazine. The reason being it has writer 'Oway U Nyo Mya' as the cover story.

The censor board scrapped over 80 pages of the Magazine's July issue, which has a write-up on U Nyo Mya, a prominent Burmese journalist and the editor of 'Oway' magazine, which is also the mouthpiece of the Students' Union during the anti-colonial struggle.

Nyo Mya was also an intimate friend of Burma's independence hero General (Bogyoke) Aung San. The story in this issue is on his involvement in the student movement, his life and views on him by his contemporary students and politicians.

"This month's issue of the magazine had over 200 pages, of which over 80 pages were censored. The authorities said that these pages are now being suspended from publication and might be allowed to be published at the end of the year," a magazine editor who wished not to be named and is close to the Burmese literary circle said.

"The censored article includes U Nyo Mya's famous article entitled 'Hell Hound at Large,' his literary and political life, his student life with his room mate Bogyoke Aung San and views and opinions on him by his contemporaries," he added.

The authorities gave no reason to the magazine as to why it censored the pages but the literary circle speculated that it was because of the forthcoming popular uprising anniversary which falls on August 8.

"The 'Oway' magazine was the mouthpiece of the Students' Union and student movement. The censor board usually censors such articles from time to time. The 88 uprising anniversary is next month," the veteran magazine editor who wished to remain anonymous said.

The censor board informed the magazine about censoring the article after a wait of over one month. The magazine had to replace it with another cover story on writer 'Bamaw Tin Aung'.

Similarly the censor board censored the cover story on renowned writer, literary guru and architect of domestic peace 'Thakin Kodaw Hmaing' in one of its 2007 issues.
 
'Padaukpwinthit' magazine was first published in 1991 but due to various reasons, it could publish only 31 issues until 2008.