Day Two. 13 December 2013, Rangoon

“A person who has registered himself in Mon State is recognized all over the country,” one of the participants at the Burma News International (BNI) ad hoc meeting says. “Why isn’t a media organization accorded the same right?”

That is one of the principal challenges the grouping of 11 exile media organizations that is trying to establish itself inside Burma is facing. (Rangoon regional office had approved its application. But Naypyitaw reportedly rejected it later.) Individual groups, however, faces no such problem.

In fact, 6 of BNI members’ applications have been approved during the last year:

• Independent Mon News Agency (IMNA)
• Katarawaddy Times (KT)
• Karen Information Center (KIC) Karenni
• Khonumthung News (KN) Chin
• Mizzima News
• Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)

Another problem is that some of the big-budgeted news agencies established inside the country seem to be seeing BNI, and more particularly its members, as threats. “Bookshops are being approached not to sell Mizzima’s dailies. They were advised ‘not to sell it if you want to sell our paper’ or ‘How much do I pay you not to put it on the news stand?’” reported another participant.

The biggest challenge BNI, that was set up in New Delhi 10 years ago, and shot into fame by its recent report, “Deciphering Myanmar's Peace Process: A Reference Guide 2013”, however is more than the two cited here.

It is ‘What are BNI’s new vision and mission now that political and social decentralization is starting to take place in the country?’

“Decentralization is happening not only in Burma,” explained yet another participant, “but also in other countries. It is to build support for the central government at the local level and to contain regional problems, among others.”

So far the result of the two year long experiment is mixed. “Financially, more than 96% of the budget allocations are for Naypyitaw and only 3.6% for the states,” he continued. “So, from the financial point of view, you may say the country is 3.6% federal.”

Burma should therefore take a leaf from other federal countries like Canada where  central government spends only 30% and the rest goes to the provinces/states, he recommends.

On the media side, more toleration is noted but old mentality that has divided the country still remains, according to an invited panelist. “Media organizations like the BNI that speaks for the non-Burman ethnic people should be welcomed,” he said. “Most of what we have here speak only for the elite but the voices of the downtrodden people are rarely heard.”

“The day before yesterday (11 December), I was watching the grand opening of the SEA Games and felt extremely ashamed,” he said. “Everything there was Burmese, beginning with Anawrahta (King of Pagan who is believed to have established the First Burmese Empire in the 11th century). There was nothing about the non-Burman peoples and their historical leaders.”

Today’s session ended with homework for everybody: To re-examine the new BNI draft charter, which will be discussed tomorrow.

The day ends with a football match between Burma and Thailand.

To the disappointment of viewers, it concluded in a draw. So as usual I read a little — this time my notes taken at the meeting — to lull myself to sleep. This time I wan’t disappointed. I fell asleep after reading a comment given by an invited speaker. “Pyaung-ley (change)? To me, it means the generals are only changing their (gun) barrels.”

Pyaung (transform) and Ley (change, exchange) together are usually translated as “Change”. But Pyaung, on the other hand, can also mean “barrel”.

“Yeah”, agreed someone. “This time they’re fixing a silencer to it.”