One opposition figure who returned to Burma during military rule was Nyi Nyi Aung, another 1988 student protestor. He was arrested and jailed for several months in 2009 after returning to Burma to visit – accused by the Burmese authorities of attempting to foment an uprising – and was only released after heavy U.S. pressure. Now in the United States, he told The Diplomat that any exile return should involve an “official announcement by law that exile democratic forces can come back to work freely for democratization, to participate in the process of transnational justice.”
But Burma's overseas media groups are eyeing a shot at their home market, and may be among the first exiles to return home. For many years, organizations such as Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), The Irrawaddy and Mizzima have offered exile operated, Burma-focused news, filling a gap created by Burma’s draconian censorship laws and restrictions. Exile media has faced restrictions of its own, not being permitted to operate in Burma and with correspondents inside Burma who have had to work undercover for fear of arrest. Exile groups also face funding cuts, as European donors shift money inside Burma, a situation not helped by a recent corruption scandal at DVB, whose footage of the 2007 Saffron protests won the organization global plaudits.
Still, 13 DVB reporters were among the hundreds of political prisoners freed in last week’s high-profile amnesty, and one, Sithu Zeya, a video journalist who was given an 8-year sentence after attempting to photograph the site of explosions in Rangoon during the 2010 Buddhist water festival, spoke with me by telephone just after his release. “I’m very pleased to be free and that my father is also free,” he said. Sithu's father, U Zeya, was also freed after being jailed for 13 years for working clandestinely with his son for DVB.
Such oppressive laws are about to change, believes Sein Win, managing editor of Mizzima. “I visited Burma last week,” he told The Diplomat, speaking by telephone from Chiang Mai. “It was the first official visit by Mizzima to Burma since we founded in 1998.”
Sein Win confirmed that he discussed the possibility of opening a Mizzima office in Burma with the country's Ministry of Information. “We’ll wait for the publication of the new press law, maybe in February or March,” he said. “I’m hopeful they will abandon the censorship board.”
“I think all the Burmese exile media are now trying to work in Rangoon and inside the country.”
Simon Roughneen is a Southeast Asia-based journalist. He writes for the Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, Asia Times, The Irrawaddy, ISN, Sunday Business Post and others.
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Michelle
The Burmese gvnrenmeot is a military-dominated state with an obsession with solving ethnic problems through force and it doesn’t have any immediate pressure to stand down. I can’t see real democratic change occurring.
Burmese Daze
. . . it’s easy to call for trade sanctions when your plate is full.
Holding the economy hostage was not good politics. Politicians should not play with the lives of ordinary Burmese. The father invited the Imperial Japanese army to invade the country, only to see the fascist troops brutalise the Burmese during WWII. It seems the daughter has learned well.
The majority of Burmese exiles are economic migrants. So desperate they would denigrate their country for a meal ticket. How sad and how depressing. Tsk.Tsk.
Truth be told
Just yesterday Suu Kyi said in the Washington news interview, not to lift sanctions as of yet?
In my eyes she is not the leader you would want now or later.
Even now with many changes she wants people to suffer, all the while
deals in the Billion’s are being under the table rushed.
Day after day Thailand, is cutting deals many of the companies are rushing
pre sanctions being lifted.
This woman lives in an 18MUSD home while calling on the world community
to continue sanctions.
ASEAN speak up or continue your wine bibbing as a useless
organization like the UN
KSM
@ Truth be told,
The lady didn’t say the way you described. Here is direct quote from her Washington Post’s interview.
*****
Should the United States lift sanctions and engage?
Engage and lift sanctions when they think the time is right. The U.S. has laid out very clearly what the conditions are for the removal of sanctions. If this government wants sanctions to be removed, they will have to try and meet those conditions.
*****
This is not 1980’s. The lies will be quickly debunked in 2012.
duke chan
The Vietnamese’s government should follow the Burma’s government before it either be collapsed violently or be controlled totally by the Chinese. That is why John Mc Cain is in VN right now.