>Subject: AP-Dissidents Urge Myanma

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Subject: >Subject: AP-Dissidents Urge Myanmar Media Ban

>From: "TIN KYI" <tinkyi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>To: <burmanet2-l@xxxxxxxx>
>Cc: <burmanet-l@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: AP-Dissidents Urge Myanmar Media Ban
>Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1999 00:29:47 +0900
>
>Tuesday September 7 10:45 AM ET
>
>Dissidents Urge Myanmar Media Ban
>
>BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Dissident students are appealing for a popular
>boycott of Myanmar's state-run newspapers, which they accuse of being
>abusive and aggressive toward democratic forces.
>
>The appeal by the All Burma Students' Democratic Front is part of the
>group's campaign for the people of Myanmar, also known as Burma, to hold
>anti-government demonstrations on Sept. 9.
>
>``The state-controlled media consistently uses overtly abusive and
>aggressive language against the democratic struggle and democracy leaders.
>It breaches all principles of journalism and ethics of media,'' a statement
>from the Thai-based group said.
>
>All news media in Myanmar is dominated by the government, which has been run
>by the military for 37 years.
>
>Newspapers regularly include invective against opposition leader Aung San
>Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace laureate, whose party won general elections in 1990
>that the military has not honored.
>
>Editorial comments are repeated daily, urging readers to ``crush'' the
>government's opponents as enemies of the state.
>
>The Front said these newspapers were ``degrading the pride of the nation,''
>and urged people ``not to buy, not to read and to tear up these newspapers
>in support of the call for popular action on 9999.''
>
>The dissident group, largely made up of veterans of major protests in 1988,
>in which thousands were gunned down by the military, is promoting Sept. 9 -
>9-9-99 - as an auspicious day for another attempted uprising.
>
>The government has accused the Front of running a smear campaign ahead of
>that date to cause unrest, and has threatened to ``annihilate'' opponents
>agitating for demonstrations.
>
>
>
>
>