BURMESE ORGAZATION'S NEWS
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BMA: World Press Freedom Day and Our Actions
Press Release of Burma Media Association (BMA) On the Occasion of World Press Freedom Day
May 3, 2001
As World Press Freedom Day falls today, Burma Media Association (BMA), which established early this year with over a hundred of exiled Burmese journalists, writers and reporters, speed up a call for release of all 45 detained journalists, simultaneously publishing two special reports written by two well-known journalists who recently escaped from Burma.
In a letter sent to the chairman of the ruling state's junta Senior General Than Shwe, BMA demands the immediate and unconditional release of all jailed journalists including U Win Tin and Daw San San Nwe and asks to respect the fundamental rights of freedom of expression and publication in Burma.
One of the rare reports entitling "My Prison Day with U Win Tin" written by Zin Lin, , reveals personal account of repression on journalists. The author Zin Lin is a writer and organizer of opposition party NLD and he recently fled Burma. When he was in prison he lived with U Win Tin.
U Win Tin is a prominent journalist and has been in prison for twelve years was honored with several world prestigious prizes such as Golden Pen Award 2001 and UNESCO's World Press Freedom Prize for his dedication for freedom of press and fundamental rights in Burma. Today is especially a day for him since UNESCO introduced World Press Freedom Day in 1993 along with the World Press Freedom Prize that they gave him for this year.
The second report is about the analysis of "Journalism in Burma" and was written by a well-known magazine editor of "Thint-Ba-Wa (Your Life)" Tin Maung Than.He is also a physician and escaped from Burma last year. All these reports including the letter to SPDC's leader and the list of imprisoned journalists can be viewed or downloaded on BMA's website - www.bma-online.net.
For further information, contact to:
Michael Michelle (in English)
(202) 543-8480,(202) 309-1090 -mobile phone
Tin Maung Htoo (in Burmese)
(519) 686-4745