NOW IT’S THE VIDEO COMPACT DISC REVOLUTION IN MYANMAR
December 30th 2007 01:02
A colourful Ahnyeint, or variety dance, video compact disc which features four comedians mocking and ridiculing the Myanmar regime's weak points and appalling governance, is popular among Yangon residents and is being widely circulated, according to a Mizzima news report.
"This VCD is widely being circulated in Yangon. Almost everyone has watched this VCD and likes it. If someone has not yet watched the VCD, those who have watched it give it to them. This way, the VCD is circulating and everybody likes it," a student told Mizzima.
A student from Yangon Eastern University told Mizzima that famous sermons by sayadaws (abbots) and secretly recorded video footages during the September ‘Saffron revolution,’ and uncensored foreign films are also available from roadside vendors in downtown Pansodan Street.
"But you cannot get these uncensored DVDs and VCDs easily. You have to place an order and collect it the next day at the time given by the vendors because the vendors are at risk of being arrested if they are founding possession of these DVDs and VCDs," he said.
There are reports that the authorities are chasing vendors selling such DVDs and VCDs, although no one has been reportedly been arrested yet.
But Ko Tin Htay and Ko Than Tun were sentenced to four and half years in prison on April 25 this year for being in possession of 'The Night of Diamonds' a documentary VCD which compares the lavish and extravagant wedding reception of Thandar Shwe, daughter of Senior General Than Shwe, with the miserable daily life of the common people who live in poverty.
This video was originally distributed to leading international news agencies by Aung Zaw, the editor and founder of the Chiang Mai-based dissident magazine, The Irrawaddy Journal.Earlier this year, allegations were made that funds received for payments by news agencies for this video were misappropriated Aung Zaw.
But a MediaBlab investigation revealed that the allegations, primarily made by Stephen Finch, a Brit reporter who had been fired by the Irrawaddy Journal, were baseless.
- From MediaBlab
"This VCD is widely being circulated in Yangon. Almost everyone has watched this VCD and likes it. If someone has not yet watched the VCD, those who have watched it give it to them. This way, the VCD is circulating and everybody likes it," a student told Mizzima.
A student from Yangon Eastern University told Mizzima that famous sermons by sayadaws (abbots) and secretly recorded video footages during the September ‘Saffron revolution,’ and uncensored foreign films are also available from roadside vendors in downtown Pansodan Street.
There are reports that the authorities are chasing vendors selling such DVDs and VCDs, although no one has been reportedly been arrested yet.
But Ko Tin Htay and Ko Than Tun were sentenced to four and half years in prison on April 25 this year for being in possession of 'The Night of Diamonds' a documentary VCD which compares the lavish and extravagant wedding reception of Thandar Shwe, daughter of Senior General Than Shwe, with the miserable daily life of the common people who live in poverty.
This video was originally distributed to leading international news agencies by Aung Zaw, the editor and founder of the Chiang Mai-based dissident magazine, The Irrawaddy Journal.Earlier this year, allegations were made that funds received for payments by news agencies for this video were misappropriated Aung Zaw.
- From MediaBlab
| 26 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
