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Burma gets Chinese paper after lon



Subject: Burma gets Chinese  paper after long lull 

Headlines 

      Burma gets Chinese
      paper after long lull

      THE Burmese Morning Post, the first
      Chinese-language newspaper in over 30
      years, was launched on Wednesday in
      Burma, according to Chinese residents in
      Rangoon. 

      The paper, called Mian Dien Huo Bao in
      Chinese, is published on a weekly basis,
      but might appear two or three times a week
      when readership expands. Its primary
      target is the Chinese community in Burma,
      which accounts for about 1 per cent of the
      population. 

      In recent years, the number of Chinese
      visitors from China's southern Yunnan
      province to Burma has increased, while
      many Chinese residents of Asean countries
      are also visiting Burma. The paper, whose
      editor is a Chinese-Burmese woman called
      Zhen Ling-zhu, plans to distribute it in some
      Asean countries too, as well as in Canada
      and the United States. 

      Residents said the paper seems to adopt a
      style and tone similar to other Burmese
      newspapers, which are tightly controlled by
      the state. The first edition's lead story was
      on Burmese leader Gen Than Shwe and
      the second lead was on the visit to Shan
      state of Army Commander-in-Chief Gen
      Maung Aye. 

      The paper, with an initial circulation of
      5,000, has 16 pages and concentrates on
      trade and investment, tourism, culture,
      social and health issues, and activities of
      the Chinese community in Burma and
      overseas. The first edition also contained a
      large number of advertisements
      congratulating its launching. 

      Residents said prominent local Chinese
      had spearheaded the publication and saw
      the paper as an instrument to strengthen
      relations between Burma and China. 

      Burma used to have a number of Chinese
      publications, but these were closed down
      by the previous military government of Gen
      Ne Win on Jan 1, 1966. All Chinese
      schools were closed down by 1965. 

      Asean countries have a varying number of
      Chinese residents and all except Laos and
      Brunei have Chinese newspapers. Thailand
      has about 10 daily and weekly publications,
      while Singapore has three, Malaysia about
      10, and Vietnam and Cambodia one each. 

      The nine members of the Asean grouping
      have developed a strong relationship and
      close cooperation with China and have had
      several rounds of bilateral and multilateral
      meetings annually. 

      The Nation