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Burma gets Chinese paper after lon
- Subject: Burma gets Chinese paper after lon
- From: suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 05 Nov 1998 21:18:00
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