State-backed newspaper the Global New Light of Myanmar has never been known for its reporting prowess.
The pages have for years been filled with awkward photos of ambassadors being appointed and beige updates on commodity prices.
But under the new, supposedly more democratic government, there were high hopes of change afoot at the publication.
Apparently not.
This week, in one of their opinion slots, the paper issued a blanket denial of the ongoing persecution of Muslims in Rakhine state, calling reports that members of the minority group are facing restrictions “heightened fabrication”.
The piece was published in the wake of the recently deadly attacks on police in Rakhine that have left dozens dead. The government has blamed a previously unknown Rohingya militant group.
Tens of thousands of Rohingya, who the Myanmar authorities consider to be illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, despite many tracing their presence back generations, are confined to internal displacement camps and villages across Rakhine state.
This is a fact, backed up by years of reporting and documenting by scores of individuals and organizations.
There are many other accusations and debates involved in the situation, but nobody has – until now – denied the simple fact that many Rohingya have not been allowed to travel freely around the state.
By definition, they are restricted.
Yet here’s what the GNLM – essentially the mouthpiece of the state – said in its Monday edition: “Exhibiting its neighborliness, Bangladesh had handed over two of the assailants [in the border attacks] to Myanmar, a welcome move that came against a backdrop of heightened fabrications that a number of Muslims living in Rakhine state face discrimination, restriction of movement, and denial of access to services.”
A number of human rights organizations issued rebuttals, with Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch telling the Myanmar Times, “The government should realize that its efforts to elicit sympathy and cooperation to find those who attacked the border police camps in Maungdaw are undermined when its mouthpiece prints blatant falsehoods about the continued restrictions Rohingya face in Rakhine State.”
