20th August, 2012, Yangon: Myanmar’s nominally civilian government is sweeping a series of reforms and on Monday, the information ministry of Myanmar announced that they have lifted its censorship of media.
A statement of the ministry’s website read: “Censorship for all local publications is lifted from August 20, 2012.”
PSRD (Press Scrutiny and Registration Department) stated that from now on journalists would not have to submit their work before publication. However, strict laws are still there that may punish reporters for their work.
The censorship on media began on 6th August, 1964 and it ended after more than 48 years. Any publication in Myanmar does not have to seek for permission before publishing. PSRD also announced that their department would execute registering publications to keep them as national archives as well as issue a license to publishers and printers.
Media reforms were already in place with less disputable media houses freed from scrutiny previous year. Religious and political journals were the last to go to press without the approval of the censor beginning from Monday.
In last one year, President Thein Sein has superintended many dramatic changes like Aung San Suu Kyi’s election to the Parliament and the release of political prisoners.
