London: The Burmese government will allow circulation of privately owned newspapers from April 2013 for the first time in almost 50 years.


The move follows the abolition of direct government censorship of the media in April 2012.

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING


The information ministry said on its website that any Burmese national wishing to set up a newspaper could submit an application from February, the BBC reports. It said newspapers would be permitted in any language from 1 April 2013.


In August, the government told journalists they would no longer have to submit their work to state censors before publication as they had been doing for about half a century. According to the report, until two years ago, reporters in Burma faced some of the harshest restrictions in the world.


They were frequently subjected to surveillance, phone taps and other forms of censorship, the report added.
ANI