Reading between the lines of Burmaâ?s censored press... "Power shortages and blackouts are nothing new in Burma. Nor are news blackouts... In early February, authorities detected bird flu in Sagaing and Mandalay divisions but the news didn?t appear in state-run newspapers or privately-run journals until the middle of March. The government?s mouthpiece, The New Light of Myanmar, waited until March 16 to report the outbreak. Why do the authorities wait so long to inform the public of such an important development that directly affects them? The reason for this particularly cynical form of censorship has to be the official fear of causing a panic. Yet fears of a serious health hazard aren?t the only reason for Burmese to stay glued to the broadcasts of shortwave radio stations beamed from overseas. The plain fact is that most Burmese have no clue what is happening in their own country. Ironically, the latest clampdown occurs as optimism surfaces in Rangoon media circles about what some editors and journalists see as a relaxation of censorship regulations..."