October 8-15, 2014

Weekly Media Monitoring report for Burma

Posted on October 15, 2014

Compiled by Leila Bamba

Myanmar Times, October 10th 2014 “Media forum attendees focus on laws, judiciary”

Media representatives spoke at a forum in Nay Pyi Taw on the government’s relation with the media.
Questions have been raised about the free flow of information often being blocked by law and also on the secretiveness of courts in Burma.
The even that took place from the 4-5 of October was aimed at improving public access to information and discussing the difficult relationship between the government and the media.
“Participants said the law – particularly the 1923 State Secrets Act – posed restrictions on the flow of information from government officials to the public and suggested ways of removing the blockage.”

*No privately owned media news on this story

Burma Times, October 12th 2014 – “Four civilians killed in explosion in troubled Myanmar region”

Four civilians, including a 12-year-old boy were killed and many were wounded after a mortar bomb hit a crowded road in the conflict-hit Karen state in eastern Myanmar.
Residents of the area have said that fighting has been occurring in recent weeks between troops and a rebel group said to represent the ethnic Karen minority.
“Three men and a 12-year old boy were killed. Another two women and eight more men — including an abbot from a nearby monastery — were wounded,” the policeman said.”
It is still not clear who fired the weapon, but residents have said that the attack is probably linked to the fighting that has been taking place between troops and rebels from the Democratic Karen Bhuddist Association (DKBA), a splinter group of the larger Karen National Union.
The government has been working to achieve a nation-wide ceasefire and it has so far signed ceasefires with 14 of the 16 major armed ethnic groups.
The Karen National Union has joined peace talks and more peace talks have been schedule to occur in late October.

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