Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Newspapers and magazines
There are four state-owned
daily newspapers
: three in Burmese plus the rather Orwellian
English-language
New Light of Myanmar
(
www.moi.gov.mm/npe/nlm
).Thenewclutchof
privately owned dailies published since 2012 are all Burmese-language publications - the
only daily in English,
Myanma Freedom Daily
(the country's first privately owned, English-
language daily for half a century), ceased publication in April 2014, although it may resume
inthefuture.Forbreakingnewsit'sbesttoconsultoneofthe
newswebsites
.
Weeklypublic-
ations
include the
Myanmar Times
(
mmtimes.com
), published in both Burmese and Eng-
lish. Founded by Australian Ross Dunkley in 2000, this is privately owned but has always
hadclosegovernmentlinksandhassometimesbeencriticizedasupmarketpropagandagiven
a Western gloss, although it is worth a look.
Easily the most interesting of the country's English-language
magazines
is monthly
The Ir-
rawaddy
(
irrawaddy.org
)
,runbyagroupofBurmesejournalistsbasedinThailandandfull
of in-depth, independent articles on key political and economic issues. Their website is also
an excellent source of breaking news.
NEWS WEBSITES
Burma News International
bnionline.net
Democratic Voice of Burma
english.dvb.no
Independent Mon News Agency
monnews.org
The Irrawaddy
irrawaddy.org
Mizzima News
mizzima.com
Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N.)
english.panglong.org
Television and radio
The state-run
Myanmar Radio and TV
(MRTV) broadcasts in various languages including
Englishandisasexciting asyou'dexpect,asisthestate-run,English-language MyanmarIn-
ternational TV. Many rooms now come with a TV, although only upmarket places generally
offer international satellite channels.
Radio
stations include the state-run Radio Myanmar
and the most populist City FM (89.0FM).
FESTIVALS AND EVENTS
Myanmar'sbusyfestivalcalendarstillrevolvesalmostexclusivelyaroundreligiousfest-
ivals marking the cycles of the
Buddhist calendar
.
Each of the twelve months of the
Buddhist lunar calendar has its own associated festival, although with the exception of
