Sittwe: The majority of Arakanese living in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State, have stopped listening to Pyinsawaddy FM radio after the station began propagating junta policy on a daily basis.A young musician in Sittwe said that the station has become unpopular among Arakanese people after it began airing junta policy through its daily programs.
Pyinsawaddy FM launched in Sittwe on March 27, 2009, as an entertainment radio station, and it was the first daily FM radio program in Arakan. It airs from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm daily.
A politician from Sittwe said, "Arakanese people now understand why the junta authority set up the Pyinsawaddy FM radio station in Sittwe. The people of Arakan thought before that the station would be useful for Arakanese people because it aired in the Arakanese language. But the reality is different, as the station is airing all programs related to junta policy in Burmese."
Pyinsawaddy FM airs programs in the Arakanese language, but only for 15 minutes twice a day - once in the morning and evening. It also airs some Arakanese songs in order to attract listeners.
A student from Sittwe University said, "We sometimes listened to both popular Arakanese and Burmese songs on Pyinsawaddy FM, but now we are boycotting the station because it propagates junta policy to our people through its programming. Now the station is airing many pro-election features."
Pyinsawaddy FM is not only airing in Arakan State but also in Irrawaddy Division. Many townships in Arakan State are able to listen to the station.
"The people of Arakan are very poor and most are struggling with the economic crisis right now, but the radio always airs news that the state of Arakan is improving and developing under the current military rule. Such propaganda is increasing the anti-junta sentiment among the people because it is so far from reality," the student said.
The junta allowed several FM radio stations with entertainment programs to begin airing in Burma in 2009, after Burmese people stopped listening to the state-owned Myanmar radio due to all the government propaganda. The authority now uses the FM radio stations to spread its propaganda and attempt to organize people to support the upcoming election.
Source:http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=2750
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