Myanmar allows 8 private newspaper publication

YANGON - Myanmar Ministry of Information has allowed for temporary publications of eight private daily newspapers starting April 14 in addition to the state-owned ones, official media reported Saturday.

These private daily newspapers granted for publication for the first time in the tenure of the new civilian government comprises Khit Moe Daily, Shwe Naing Ngan Thit Daily, Union Daily, Empire Daily, the Messenger, Up-Date Daily, Myanmar Newsweek Daily, and Mizzima Daily, said the New Light of Myanmar.

The eight daily newspapers were scrutinized out of a total of 17 which applied.

The new applications will be scrutinized at the coordination meeting of Central Supervisory Committee for Registration and Distribution of Printers and Publishers to be held in the last week of March.

There are five state-owned newspapers published daily in Myanmar, namely Myanma Alin (Myanmar language), Kyemon (The Mirror) (Myanmar language), Myawaddy (Myanmar language) and The New Light of Myanmar (English language) in addition to over 200 private-run weekly news journals in Myanmar, English and Chinese languages as well as over 200 magazines and nearly 7,000 private publishers.