The military government has increased its clampdown on pro-democracy activists by extending the cut off of phone service to journalists who seek interviews and information.
Since protests began on August 19, information about the demonstrations, frequently from the participants themselves, flowed to journalists inside and outside the country via mobile phones and the Internet.
A correspondent in Rangoon who works for a foreign news agency told The Irrawaddy on Thursday his mobile phone service was blocked.
“First they [the authorities] blocked my mobile phone line," he said, requesting anonymity. "And now my e-mail and photos bounce back.”
The Burmese junta cut off service to dozen of pro-democracy activists' mobile phones on Monday, including the National League of Democracy spokesman, Myint Thein, and activists Su Su Nway, Phyu Phyu Thin and Amyotheryei Win Naing.
The next step was blocking phone service to journalists who are actively covering the pro-democracy groups and their political activities.
“It's like they [the junta] have covered our eyes and ears," said the journalist. "It is not good for us and it's even worse for them. It hurts their image as well.”
Sein Win, an editor of Mizzima, a Burmese exile media group with offices in India and Thailand, said his reporters find it harder to get information from inside Burma.
“I have noticed that there is more phone tapping,” said Sein Win. ongoing phone conversations are sometimes mysteriously cut off and then it's impossible to call the person back.
A reporter for the Oslo-based Democratic Voice of Burma said many of his sources' phones are now blocked. Before he could arrange interviews on the same day, but now it can take two or three days to do the same amount of work, he said.
In related news, a blog writer in Mogok, Thar Phyu, who has written about flooding as well as about local demonstrations against the hike in fuel prices, was called in by local police and issued a warning on Monday.
Since protests began on August 19, information about the demonstrations, frequently from the participants themselves, flowed to journalists inside and outside the country via mobile phones and the Internet.
A correspondent in Rangoon who works for a foreign news agency told The Irrawaddy on Thursday his mobile phone service was blocked.
“First they [the authorities] blocked my mobile phone line," he said, requesting anonymity. "And now my e-mail and photos bounce back.”
The Burmese junta cut off service to dozen of pro-democracy activists' mobile phones on Monday, including the National League of Democracy spokesman, Myint Thein, and activists Su Su Nway, Phyu Phyu Thin and Amyotheryei Win Naing.
The next step was blocking phone service to journalists who are actively covering the pro-democracy groups and their political activities.
“It's like they [the junta] have covered our eyes and ears," said the journalist. "It is not good for us and it's even worse for them. It hurts their image as well.”
Sein Win, an editor of Mizzima, a Burmese exile media group with offices in India and Thailand, said his reporters find it harder to get information from inside Burma.
“I have noticed that there is more phone tapping,” said Sein Win. ongoing phone conversations are sometimes mysteriously cut off and then it's impossible to call the person back.
A reporter for the Oslo-based Democratic Voice of Burma said many of his sources' phones are now blocked. Before he could arrange interviews on the same day, but now it can take two or three days to do the same amount of work, he said.
In related news, a blog writer in Mogok, Thar Phyu, who has written about flooding as well as about local demonstrations against the hike in fuel prices, was called in by local police and issued a warning on Monday.
