Exiled media with blurred financial source defame local news outlets
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Tun Mon Thet (NP News) - May 14
Two outlaw media - Irrawaddy and Mizzima held a talk with the Voice of America (VOA), the state-owned news network of the United States of America, on the World Press Freedom Day on 3 May. The exiles talked about press freedom in Myanmar and insulted pride of the news outlets which operate within domestic in line with the law.
It was discussed by three outlaws and exiles involving U Kyaw Zan Thar (Senior Editor/ VOA Burmese), U Aung Zaw (Chief Editor/ The Irrawaddy) and U Sein Win (Executive Editor/ Mizzima News).
U Aung Zaw disgraced the internally operating independent news organizations in the talk saying, “Those news outlets remained in the domestic are the pro-military or the military-funded or those who are fostered by the business tycoons.”
The 56-years-old U Aung Zaw who claimed himself as an independent journalist and whose two-third of life spent in exile, actually has never disclosed his annual income or the financial source of the Irrawaddy news organization which has been established since early 1990s.
Responding the remark made by U Aung Zaw, the Chief Editor of the Daily Eleven newspaper of the Eleven Media Group U Kyaw Zaw Linn raised question with regard to the degree of independency and the financial source of the Irrawaddy, and how much U Aung Zaw earns officially.
U Kyaw Zaw Linn said, “We, the Eleven Media Group, have been operating in this industry for nearly 25 years. We can disclose our financial statement. I can tell my annual income to the public. Can the Irrawaddy disclose those matters? A news organization should claim ‘Independent’ only if is that outlet financially independent. Otherwise, it should not claim itself as ‘Independent’.”
Eleven Media Group was founded in 2000 by Dr. Than Htut Aung in Yangon, Myanmar. It publishes in both Burmese and English in news and sports. Reporters without Borders awarded the "Media of the Year" 2011 for its long standing against the military government. The Eleven Media Group sits in the top list of the biggest taxpayers in Myanmar yearly.
According to the research conducted by the Statesman Myanmar Journal, the Irrawaddy circulated false reports deliberately to promote internal conflicts in Myanmar. U Aung Zaw, who is no longer the Myanmar citizen, has never been hesitated to disrespect Myanmar. His Irrawaddy news organization published 26 percent among 620 news stories from 21 March to 20 April promoting conflicts, 25 percent of supporting NUG/PDF terrorists with 36 percent lack of accuracy.
Chief Editor of ‘Yanay Khit’ meaning (Today’s age) news organization U Thet Zin explained the difficulties of the news media which are operating within domestic. He said that the journalists within the country have to conduct self-censorship saying, “We always have to be very careful not to be charged or prosecuted by the government. Meanwhile, they can criticize and write as they like.”
U Thet Zin added, “They conducted that talk without any journalist from the domestic. The talk was held by three exiled media. Of course, no problem; they can do this. However, he (U Aung Zaw) labelled the journalists in domestic as the pro-military. He wanted to highlight only the exiles loss press freedom. And they want to ask money from the donors.”
As a matter of fact, the west-backed propagandists such as Reuters, Myanmar Now, BBC and the Irrawaddy operate like the news mafia network by releasing disinformation concurrently in spreading propaganda together.
Analysts commented that such well-organized mechanism functions destructive movements with the funding of so-called civil society groups such as Justice for Myanmar, National Endowment for Democracy, United States Agency for International Development, Amnesty International, Open Society, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, etc. and the CIA itself.
Funding comes under titles of human rights, media development and political revolution.
Not only delivering the propaganda and pro-terroristic acts but also intimidating approaches are the tactics used by those networks to impose fear and scare among investors to hesitate or withdraw their investments in Myanmar, especially in energy, gas and oil, and mining sectors.
In reality, investment means national economy and the benefits of the country.
For instance, the Justice for Myanmar sends emails to the investors intimidating that they have found out the business link with Myanmar’s national economy interests. Therefore, they will investigate necessary processes to retreat the projects from the country.
Other tactics involve releasing statements form West bloc embassies, INGOs, and even the US State of Department. Then, the puppet-like news outlets publish the toxic news taking paradigms from those unilateral statements so as to wash the brain of the locals deceiving to lose logical thinking process.
As a matter of fact, ultimate goal of the West bloc’s propagandists is instability, chaos, and killing each other as an associated outcome of low education and the west’s hegemony.
“They only intend to ruin Myanmar economy, losing trust among people, stuck in poverty; and in fact, which are the real interests of the west group,” a political analyst remarked.