M-Media
25th August 2013
Today, Burma’s Ministry of Information posted the news regarding the violence in Kantbalu township in northwestern Myanmar on their official website. But that website had reported another version of the same story with caption which describes “Trying to resolve the conflict in Htan Gone village of Kantbalu Township in Shwe Bo district in timely fashion” which was posted just before their current version and then it was deleted.
The old version of the report about violence in Kantbalu posted on the website of Ministry of Information (In Burmese Language)
In their old version of the story of violence in Kantbalu, Burma’s Ministry of Information did break the media ethics and their way of informing negates their own standard under Burmese media law. That story mentioned the Muslim man accused of molesting a woman associated with his religion which is legally prohibited in Burma. It furthermore accused the suspect of trying to rape and used the words – Islam, Muslim etc. And it also described one of the victims house which was torched by the mobs as “786 House”.
Though they deleted craftily reported news, Ministry of Information did not give any reason behind to the public on their website. But it is so obvious that the way they wrote the story is as same as the stories appeared occasionally on Wirathu’s Facebook timeline.
One can conclude the presentation of the Burma’s Ministry of Information as an incitement to fuel up the religious tensions in timely manner. That conclusion might even get the strong support because of the Ministry of Information’s reasonless deletion of the news.
Deputy Minister of Information and Burma President’s spokesman, Ye Htut has recently made the controversial comment on UN envoy, Quintana’s statement regarding the attack on his car. He even challenged on his Facebook, if the Quintana’s statement is correct, to prove the damage of the car used for Quintana’s trip in Burma though the car was reportedly attacked by the mobs.
Ye Htut had once denounced the editors-in-cheif of Ministry of Information for using the word “Kalar” in their report in regard to Taung Gote massacre when he was serving as the director of a department in Ministry of Information.
So, this is the second time Burma’s Ministry of Information presented the story of a vulnerable situation in a way of fueling up the tensions between the groups.
