Press censorship in Myanmar from colonial days to democratic transition in the 21st century

Abstract

This study examined the implications of censorship policies in different period since the introduction of printed media in Myanmar. The findings suggested that Myanmar has been hardly free from authoritarian censorship since the inception of press industry in 19th century. However, restriction on freedom of the press was more intensified whenever the military forces have a stake in power politics. It argued that the various forms of present authoritarian practices are largely shadowed by the legacies of the colonial and post-colonial political turmoil. However, the past legacy is not the only attributing factor to the durability of prior censorship for five decades. In fact, censors were the living weapon chosen by every dictatorial rule to punish political, social and cultural deviance who did not conform draconian norms and practices. A mixed methodology is used in this study combining historical research approaches, content analysis and narrative inquiries to investigate censorship policy changes across the five phases of Myanmar press history. A collection of censored manuscripts from the Voice Weekly from 2008 to 2012 are analysed to the politics of censorship under the SPDC. In-depth interviews were employed to track down the effect of censorship in the production process. Assessment on written censorship rules and regulations since 1962 brought central part of the findings that revealed the tactics and motives of the censor board. In this study the role of the censors was explained as a key part of double gatekeeping system