Large numbers of Burmese, hungry for news and entertainment are tuning in to Rangoon’s City FM and several foreign broadcasts available via shortwave radio, reports exiles newspaper Irrawaddy.
Since the 30 May ambush on Aung San Suu Kyi and the subsequent detention of opposition leaders, many Burmese want to know what’s going on in the country and the whereabouts of Suu Kyi. Burmese citizens want to know how the international community is reacting to Burma.
Stories by overseas Burmese and regional experts on the impact of US sanctions, Asean’s concern over Suu Kyi and the ongoing debate on factionalism within the regime draw many grateful listeners.
Former opposition party member Myo Myint said, “When I stroll down the street in Rangoon in the early morning I can hear news because almost every house is listening to the BBC or RFA.” However, he said, tea shops in Rangoon usually feature TV and radio cassette players but do not dare play news aloud, fearing a reaction from authorities. Listening to shortwave radio is not illegal in Burma but citizens know that the government does not approve of the activity.