The last session of parliament before the election in November commenced on Tuesday and was awkwardly presided over by lower house speaker Shwe Mann, who was purged from the ruling party chairmanship on August 13.
Shwe Mann spoke to the chamber about the events for the first time; Aung San Suu Kyi was there and weighed in on the crisis; and several ruling party lawmakers bemoaned the disharmony.
But journalists covering parliament on its newsiest week of the year have found themselves corralled in a hallway, watching the event on TV, as they could have at home.
Naypyidaw’s parliament has yet to rescind rules put in place in May when the press was barred from a viewing gallery for the sin of taking photos of napping lawmakers.
Dubbed “Nap-y-daw,” the scandal was cited along with other grave offenses – such as taking photos of MPs voting for other MPs – as a reason to boot the journalists out.
It was supposed to be temporary, but well, it wasn’t.
Hmuu Thit from the Street View Journal, who like everyone else followed the parliamentary proceedings from the flat-screen TV outside the chamber, said yesterday it would be “better” if they could all just go inside.
“In the past, they gave space for us at the interpreters’ booth where we could see the parliament hall through glass. But there were some photos of Myanmar military MPs who were sleeping during the parliament time. Then they banned us and we couldn’t see such scenes,” he said. “It is quite different from covering the news just by watching TV screens.”
Ei Ei Toe Lwin, chief political reporter at the Myanmar Times, said yesterday that it was probably harder on the photographers.
“As a writer, for me, it is not a big deal, but photographers might have their perspective. It is like parliament is being strict on the opportunities for media. “
Photo / Aung Naing Soe / Coconuts Yangon
