Burma’s Information and Culture Minister Kyaw Hsan met executives of the Myanmar Motion Picture Organization, members of Motion Picture Censor Board and Video Censor Board, and responsible persons of script writers, film directors, actors, supporting actors, technicians, producers, managers, editors, video (central) and background music layers at the hall of Myanmar Motion Picture Enterprise (Head Office) in Bahan Township on Friday.

Also present on the occasion were Yangon Region Minister for Finance and Revenue Daw San San Nwe, departmental heads of Ministry of Information, the chairman of Myanmar Writers and Journalists Association and executives, guests and media personnel.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Kyaw Hsan said that he arranged the meeting to put in order the future responsibilities of motion picture field.

He said that a coordination meeting was held with officials of the People’s Republic of China to create movies and TV series joining hands with international film community.  Just now, he said, the plans are under way to produce a movie and a TV series on a basis of Myanmar-China friendly ties.

Moreover, Kyaw San also said that that the government has gradually relaxed the censor rules and laws regarding the press media and film censorship. However, news reports will maintain under pre-publication restriction that is criticized by press freedom groups as among the most restrictive in the world, although officials said that it would be eased in time.

According to the Myanmar Times, 54 publications will no longer need to submit their scripts to the censorship board before publication, after the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division lifted restrictions on business and crime publications last week.

The amendments came into effect on December 9, with journals, magazines and books in those two categories to face only post-publication scrutiny.

Six months ago, the government relaxed curbs on almost 200 publications from five genres – entertainment, health, children’s, technology and sport – while the rest continued under the established system of pre-censorship, the Myanmar Times said.

The Printers and Publishers Registration Law was introduced shortly after the 1962 military-coup that brought Gen Ne Win and his Burma Socialist Programme Party to power forcibly. Under this law all printers and publishers are required to register and submit copies of books, magazines and periodicals to Press Scrutiny Boards (PSB) for scrutiny prior to publication or production, or in some cases after.

The director of Burma’s state censorship board – the Press Scrutiny and Registration Department – gave a rare interview to the Washington DC based Radio Free Asia (Burmese Branch) on 8 October. Tint Swe, a retired major and head of PSRD, said that he believes press freedom will come in accordance with democratic norms within an appropriate time in Burma.

Tint Swe told Radio Free Asia that censorship should come to an end as part of democratic reforms under the new civilian government.

“There is no press censorship office in most countries in the world including our neighbors and as it is not compatible with democratic norms, press restrictions should be abolished in the near future,” he said in an interview with RFA Burmese Service.

In September, Internet users in Burma could access banned media websites for the first time, including the BBC and exiled media organizations such as the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB). But, on the other hand the Internet connection speed is too slow to view online files and sometimes even unable open personal mail accounts.

Journalists in Burma have received draconian jail sentences for reporting information challenging the regime. In January 2010, a female video-journalist Hla Hla Win received a 20-year sentence for violating the Electronic Act, and is now in prison serving 27 years. There are more than two dozen  journalists behind bars including video reporters.

According to a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists, none of Burma’s recent media reforms have been fortified with amendments to existing legislation. Those laws include the harsh Electronics Act, which provides for lengthy prison terms for anyone who sends unsanctioned information over the Internet.

“Burma’s transition to democracy will not be legitimate without legal reform to ensure press freedom,” CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said. “Draconian laws restricting reporting must be abolished, and imprisoned journalists immediately released.”

Unless the government guarantees human rights including the freedom of expression and freedom of association, the international human rights watchdog groups will not believe that Burma is on the right track of a democratic reform.