Myanmar deports Australian journalist

[webfact]

Myanmar deports Australian journalist

Nay Pyi Taw - An Australian journalist has been deported from Myanmar after covering protests against the jailing of a colleague, raising concern about press freedom in the former pariah state, media reports and rights groups said Friday.

Myanmar immigration authorities said Angus Watson, 24, who worked for the Yangon bureau of the Democratic Voice of Burma, was deported Thursday for breaching the terms of his business visa, the Mizzima news service reported.

Watson’s deportation came the day after he covered a protest in Mayway, central Myanmar, demanding the release of DVB journalist Ko Zaw Pe, who was on Tuesday sentenced to one year in prison for trespassing and disturbing a civil servant’s efforts to investigate a local corruption scandal.

"Deporting journalists harkens back to Burma’s half-century of military rule and is one of many signs that democratic reforms have been illusory," said Bob Dietz, Asia director for the Committee to Protect Journalists.


-- The Nation 2014-05-09

[shirtless]

Sounds like an Australian name,

[HeavyDrinker]

Deporting journalists harkens back to Burma’s half-century of military rule and is one of many signs that democratic reforms have been illusory," said Bob Dietz, Asia director for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Well if Bob knew his arse from his elbow he'd know nothing has really changed in Myanmar. Another prat fooled by the ASSK relase smokescreen and all the photo ops that followed.

[Asiantravel]

Deporting journalists harkens back to Burma’s half-century of military rule and is one of many signs that democratic reforms have been illusory," said Bob Dietz, Asia director for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Well if Bob knew his arse from his elbow he'd know nothing has really changed in Myanmar. Another prat fooled by the ASSK relase smokescreen and all the photo ops that followed.

Meanwhile, the investors pour in and pay through the nose like there's no tomorrow

Yangon More Expensive Than NYC Sparking Boom: Real Estate

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-29/yangon-more-expensive-than-nyc-sparking-boom-real-estate.html

[folium]

Deporting journalists harkens back to Burma’s half-century of military rule and is one of many signs that democratic reforms have been illusory," said Bob Dietz, Asia director for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Well if Bob knew his arse from his elbow he'd know nothing has really changed in Myanmar. Another prat fooled by the ASSK relase smokescreen and all the photo ops that followed.

There speaks someone who obviously has little experience/knowledge of Burma/Myanmar in the last 60 years.

While Burma obviously still has a long way to go perhaps it would be wise to reflect on the level it is coming from.

[folium]

Sounds like an Australian name,

Please tell me you didn't think that Nay Pyi Taw was the name of the Australian journo...?!

[ggt]

many signs that democratic reforms have been illusory,

Sounds like present day Thailand...

[Calimotty]

Sounds like an Australian name,

Probably, weren't most of the convicts thieving Jocks? LOL.

Edited May 9, 2014 by Calimotty

[Benmart]

Deporting journalists harkens back to Burmas half-century of military rule and is one of many signs that democratic reforms have been illusory," said Bob Dietz, Asia director for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Well if Bob knew his arse from his elbow he'd know nothing has really changed in Myanmar. Another prat fooled by the ASSK relase smokescreen and all the photo ops that followed.

There speaks someone who obviously has little experience/knowledge of Burma/Myanmar in the last 60 years.

While Burma obviously still has a long way to go perhaps it would be wise to reflect on the level it is coming from.

I agree. Experts come in all shapes, sizes and prejudices. Knowledge and first hand experience trumps conjecture, guessing and heresay in my experience.

[spidermike007]

Myanmar deports Australian journalist

Nay Pyi Taw - An Australian journalist has been deported from Myanmar after covering protests against the jailing of a colleague, raising concern about press freedom in the former pariah state, media reports and rights groups said Friday.

This is a very funny post. Who said anything about reform? It was the media in the first place that bought this story, hook, line and sinker. According to Burmese friends of mine, very little has changed. Than Shwe and his top 20 generals are still raking in billions per year from mining, gemstones, trafficking, and heroin. Oppression still goes on. The military has as much control as ever. This was window dressing to allow the Chinese concessions to purchase less expensive equipment, than they would have had to pay if the sanctions went on. Is anyone buying this garbage that this heinous Burmese govt. is putting out? Does anyone really buy into this, other than the US govt? Hope not.

[Johpa]

Well if Bob knew his arse from his elbow he'd know nothing has really changed in Myanmar. Another prat fooled by the ASSK relase smokescreen and all the photo ops that followed.

There speaks someone who obviously has little experience/knowledge of Burma/Myanmar in the last 60 years.

While Burma obviously still has a long way to go perhaps it would be wise to reflect on the level it is coming from.

Although Burma has traveled a distance from the days of oppressive military rule, the more important question is to ask is in which direction is it headed. And the main change seems to be that the military junta has simply taken on new businesss partners for new profits, the western corpratocracy, the same corpratocracy that forced Australia to end its funding of the Mae Tao Clinic. They know that all you need to do is to slightly raise the income of the masses so that the masses can afford to be entertained: give them a cell phone and some really bad TV with soap operas. And then the beat goes on, capital continues to be extracted and placed into the western banking system and those who protest are deported if they are foreign journalists or they suffer a far worse if they are minorities. Although, we can look to see the same thing in Thailand, e.g. missing Karen activist Billy, but at least in Thailand Billy's home village is not burned to the ground. ASSK got the kiss of death when she was embraced by Hillary Clinton and then received her awards in the US, including her award from the Atlantic Council in 2012 sharing the award with war criminal Henry Kissinger. Yea, she was bought, or from the other perspective, sold out.

[ScotBkk]

Sounds like an Australian name,

Probably, weren't most of the convicts thieving Jocks? LOL.

Scousers actually ya mean!!!

[spidermike007]

Well if Bob knew his arse from his elbow he'd know nothing has really changed in Myanmar. Another prat fooled by the ASSK relase smokescreen and all the photo ops that followed.

There speaks someone who obviously has little experience/knowledge of Burma/Myanmar in the last 60 years.

While Burma obviously still has a long way to go perhaps it would be wise to reflect on the level it is coming from.

Although Burma has traveled a distance from the days of oppressive military rule, the more important question is to ask is in which direction is it headed. And the main change seems to be that the military junta has simply taken on new businesss partners for new profits, the western corpratocracy, the same corpratocracy that forced Australia to end its funding of the Mae Tao Clinic. They know that all you need to do is to slightly raise the income of the masses so that the masses can afford to be entertained: give them a cell phone and some really bad TV with soap operas. And then the beat goes on, capital continues to be extracted and placed into the western banking system and those who protest are deported if they are foreign journalists or they suffer a far worse if they are minorities. Although, we can look to see the same thing in Thailand, e.g. missing Karen activist Billy, but at least in Thailand Billy's home village is not burned to the ground. ASSK got the kiss of death when she was embraced by Hillary Clinton and then received her awards in the US, including her award from the Atlantic Council in 2012 sharing the award with war criminal Henry Kissinger. Yea, she was bought, or from the other perspective, sold out.

From what I am told, it has not come very far at all. Do you have any credible sources, that would verify this change you are referring to, not including the severely compromised western media? I hear the generals still operate their multi billion dollar franchises, with absolute impunity, and that the ENTIRE military structure is still above the law. I also hear the great pig Than Shwe still holds ultimate power, and will do so until the day he dies, which will be very soon, hopefully.

[gregk0543]

I live in Yangon. Have lived in Myanmar for 17 years of the last 34 years.

Yes it has changed. But not as much as you would like. But 50 years going down the wrong path will not disappear overnight.

The guy got kicked out because he was not a registered journalist and was alleged to have taken part in the protest.

http://elevenmyanmar.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6023:dvb-reporter-deported-covering-news-in-magway&catid=44:national&Itemid=384

The story is reported in the Myanmar media. There is a lot of freedom to report now. More news gets out than ever was able to be done before. Internet is not blocked anymore and has been unblocked for a couple of years now.

People are protesting all sorts of things all over the place. The fear of the M.I. and secret police is gone. At every level of govt. things are being done and slowly making reform. There is a long way to go.

One journalist who crossed the line and gets deported is not going to change that.

The overall trends are good.

It is a reform movement not a revolution and overturning of the old guard.

The reforms are aimed at a transition to something more democratic and to modernise the country.

There is so much to do here and maybe you should get off your butts in Thailand and get over here and travel around and see for yourself. Maybe you can give a hand.

Summary: more has changed in the last 3 years than in the 30 years prior to that. U Thein Sein who is the President has made these changes happen. Than Schway has retired. He is not pulling the strings, but he is protected by the process. This is not a smokescreen, it is real and is an ongoing process of reform not intended as an upheaval.

Edited May 10, 2014 by gregk0543

[folium]

I live in Yangon. Have lived in Myanmar for 17 years of the last 34 years.

Yes it has changed. But not as much as you would like. But 50 years going down the wrong path will not disappear overnight.

The guy got kicked out because he was not a registered journalist and was alleged to have taken part in the protest.

http://elevenmyanmar.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6023:dvb-reporter-deported-covering-news-in-magway&catid=44:national&Itemid=384

The story is reported in the Myanmar media. There is a lot of freedom to report now. More news gets out than ever was able to be done before. Internet is not blocked anymore and has been unblocked for a couple of years now.

People are protesting all sorts of things all over the place. The fear of the M.I. and secret police is gone. At every level of govt. things are being done and slowly making reform. There is a long way to go.

One journalist who crossed the line and gets deported is not going to change that.

The overall trends are good.

It is a reform movement not a revolution and overturning of the old guard.

The reforms are aimed at a transition to something more democratic and to modernise the country.

There is so much to do here and maybe you should get off your butts in Thailand and get over here and travel around and see for yourself. Maybe you can give a hand.

Summary: more has changed in the last 3 years than in the 30 years prior to that. U Thein Sein who is the President has made these changes happen. Than Schway has retired. He is not pulling the strings, but he is protected by the process. This is not a smokescreen, it is real and is an ongoing process of reform not intended as an upheaval.

Thank you for posting such an informed, precise picture of Myanmar from someone who actually has first hand knowledge.

Sadly many of the reform-deniers are more comfortable expounding their opinions from bar stools in Thailand than actually seeing facts on the ground for themselves, let alone doing anything actually positive.

I first set foot in Burma late in 1980. Things are somewhat different today. Are they perfect? Far from it, but the country is hardly surrounded by neighbouring states that stand out as beacons of democracy, equality and individual freedom/rights.

Without being too trite Myanmar has certain similarities with Iran. Both are fascinating, beautiful countries with extraordinary people, both sadly have been blighted by terrible governance for far too long. The potential in both is enormous, hence the excitement when things begin to improve.

[gregk0543]

I live in Yangon. Have lived in Myanmar for 17 years of the last 34 years.

Yes it has changed. But not as much as you would like. But 50 years going down the wrong path will not disappear overnight.

The guy got kicked out because he was not a registered journalist and was alleged to have taken part in the protest.

http://elevenmyanmar.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6023:dvb-reporter-deported-covering-news-in-magway&catid=44:national&Itemid=384

The story is reported in the Myanmar media. There is a lot of freedom to report now. More news gets out than ever was able to be done before. Internet is not blocked anymore and has been unblocked for a couple of years now.

People are protesting all sorts of things all over the place. The fear of the M.I. and secret police is gone. At every level of govt. things are being done and slowly making reform. There is a long way to go.

One journalist who crossed the line and gets deported is not going to change that.

The overall trends are good.

It is a reform movement not a revolution and overturning of the old guard.

The reforms are aimed at a transition to something more democratic and to modernise the country.

There is so much to do here and maybe you should get off your butts in Thailand and get over here and travel around and see for yourself. Maybe you can give a hand.

Summary: more has changed in the last 3 years than in the 30 years prior to that. U Thein Sein who is the President has made these changes happen. Than Schway has retired. He is not pulling the strings, but he is protected by the process. This is not a smokescreen, it is real and is an ongoing process of reform not intended as an upheaval.

Thank you for posting such an informed, precise picture of Myanmar from someone who actually has first hand knowledge.

Sadly many of the reform-deniers are more comfortable expounding their opinions from bar stools in Thailand than actually seeing facts on the ground for themselves, let alone doing anything actually positive.

I first set foot in Burma late in 1980. Things are somewhat different today. Are they perfect? Far from it, but the country is hardly surrounded by neighbouring states that stand out as beacons of democracy, equality and individual freedom/rights.

Without being too trite Myanmar has certain similarities with Iran. Both are fascinating, beautiful countries with extraordinary people, both sadly have been blighted by terrible governance for far too long. The potential in both is enormous, hence the excitement when things begin to improve.

Terrible governance is a good way to describe it. In contrast to Iran I think the biggest problem here is the state of the education system which will take years and a generation to correct. But it is starting at last!

One interesting thing to watch is the number of cases of farmers seeking compensation for agricultural lands seized from them without legal process during 90's by people in charge and then used for other purposes. I personally know the history of some of these, but I run into the same thing all over the place now. I have not seen one case completed but lots of protests about it.

If anyone has seen one of these resolved let me know. Pun Hlaing Golf Estate, FMI, Defence service academy Pyin Oo Lwin, just went to Kanthaya and the Kanthaya Beach resort is closed down under the same type of dispute. These are up to 24 years old and only now do the farmers have a chance to take legal action for compensation.

So this is a big change. Not a smooth one, but a big change. I am interested to see how these can be resolved.

The other big problem is the top making the rules and the bottom not enforcing them which is the problem in customs, and a whole lot of other places. They have raised a generation of people whose first instinct is ignore the law. It was the only way to survive, but it is really going to have to change a lot for changes to take root.