Influential Buddhist organization Ma Ba Tha marked the end of its second annual national conference in Yangon this past weekend by announcing plans to build two radio stations with financing from co-religionists in Thailand.
But there may be some unforeseen bureaucratic hurdles.
Minister of Information Ye Htut said that Ma Ba Tha couldn’t create a radio station as Myanmar lacks laws to regulate radio, 7Day Daily reported on Friday.
While Ye Htut’s comments were somewhat ambiguous and he did not elaborate, it’s unclear how the nationalist group could proceed without support from the ministry that oversees local media.
Ma Ba Tha’s plans sparked concerns that the airwaves could be a platform for incendiary speech, but U Parmoukkha, a senior Ma Ba Tha official, said that wasn’t the case at all.
“We have no idea to spread hate. Our sermons don’t give hate but will make you smile,” he said earlier this week, according to Radio Free Asia. “Also, our religion will last longer than 5,000 years if we will record and spread it around the country.”
Parmoukkha and Ye Htut could not be reached on Friday.
The radio station for Ma Ba Tha (an acronym for the Association to Protect Race and Religion) was one of several ideas the group is exploring for the coming year, including lobbying the government to ban the Islamic veil and prohibit the ritual slaughter of animals during an Islamic holiday after Ramadan.
Photo of nationalist march attended by Ma Ba Tha in May. Photo / Coconuts Media
