Junta to restrict information outflow to foreign and media in exile

IMNA
February 3, 2006

The military regime plans to come down heavily on people who have been passing on information to the media in exile and the foreign media .The junta intends to check this trend with a trained force, according to a source close to a former military intelligence officer.

Chairman of the Yangon Division Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Myint Swe summoned some Military Intelligence officers (MI) to train Military Security Force (Sa Ya Hpa) on how to find people who are giving information to the foreign and media in exile.

The training was secretly held in Rangoon and Lt-Gen Myint Swe selected former officer of MI No.5 Captain Aung Kyaw Kyaw to be the trainer, according to sources in the military.

“They intend to investigate and find persons who give information to the media outside the country,” according to the source.

Captain Aung Kyaw Kyaw was a former deputy commander of MI No.5 based in Mon State . MI No.5 was known to regularly launch operations to find out how media groups in exile access information.

MI No.5 regularly seized Thai made satellite phones in Mon State for checking information passed to the media outside. In addition the MI also tapped phones in Burma .

People inside Burma would like to give information, but phone lines are not secure, said a reporter from Rangoon .

“People are afraid because they can be sent to jail for passing on information given phones are tapped,” a reporter said.

MI No.5 and soldiers launching military operations against rebel groups regularly said they would kill people if they passed on information outside the country.

After the MI was abolished the Sa Ya Hpa is working in its place collecting general information of movements opposed to the military regime.

Sa Ya Hpa is a newly formed force, which replaced the MI that was dismantled after Gen Khin Nyunt was sacked.