Self Censorship in Burma Policy Brief Proposal Essay Hello, please adjust the previous essay into a more accurate paper. “Self-censorship may indeed be a s

Self Censorship in Burma Policy Brief Proposal Essay Hello, please adjust the previous essay into a more accurate paper. “Self-censorship may indeed be a significant problem in Myanmar, but it is not a human rights violation – only state censorship of free speech, so you’ll need to revise this. In addition to the UDHR, which is not a legally binding document, be sure to cite the ICCPR. Finally, please review the APSA bibliography guidelines. 1
Self-censorship in Burma
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Policy Brief Proposal: Self-censorship in Burma
Self-censorship remains a major problem in many countries around the world. Selfcensorship is a contemporary human right policy problem of great interest to me. I always
believe that the freedom of speech or expression is paramount for the protection and promotion
of human rights globally. Despite the efforts to protect and promote the freedoms of speech and
expression through international human right laws, treaties and declarations, self-censorship
remains problematic around the world. One of the country’s that currently faces the problem of
self-censorship is Myanmar (formerly Burma). Burma is located in Southeast Asia and has over
100 ethnic groups. Over the decades, Myanmar has been accused of human rights violations
regarding the freedom of the press. Also, Myanmar has for long been under military rule, which
has led to repressive laws focused on restricting press freedom and freedom of speech.
According to recent reports, even though there have been media reforms in recent years
in Burma, journalists and media staff in the country face continuing limitations in performing
their work. When journalists and other individuals become more critical and the officials feel
more threatened, they increasingly deploy common methods to curb dissent. Journalists and
persons that who criticize the government or report on matters that the Myanmar Army and the
state regard as sensitive, often face intimidation, harassment, arrest, detention, prosecution, and
imprisonment (Amnesty International, 2015).
Self-censorship is of personal interest and importance to me because it violates basic
human rights. I am a strong advocate of free speech. I strongly believe that free speech enables
society to progress and develop. Since my teens, I have always held a strong belief that the
capacity to express our opinions and speak freely without fear of retribution is critical to
realizing the change in society. The freedom to communicate and express opinions regarding
political matters is central to progress and development and strengthens our democracy. Freedom
of speech helps citizens to have a sense of ownership and hold power accountable. Hence, I am
opposed to self-censorship because it violates human rights and threatens democracy.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) protects human rights including the
freedoms of speech and expression. Under the UDHR Article 19, “Everyone has the right to
freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without
interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and
regardless of frontiers.” This article confirms that self-censorship is forbidden under international
human rights law.
The organization I would represent in addressing self-censorship in Burma is Amnesty
International. Amnesty International is an international organization with over 7 million persons
that campaign for a universe where human rights are protected and promoted and enjoyed by
everyone. The vision of Amnesty International is to ensure that all persons enjoy the rights and
freedoms protected under UDHR and other international human rights laws.
The policymakers I would target in addressing this human rights problem is Myanmar’s
Minister of Information, Mr. Pe Myint and Mr. Tint Swe, the Head of Press Censorship at the
ministry. Another policymaker I would target is Michelle Bachelet, the head of The Office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
3
References
Amnesty International. (2015). Myanmar: Caught between state censorship and self-censorship:
Prosecution and intimidation of media workers in Myanmar (pp. 3-26). London:
Amnesty International. Retrieved from

Myanmar: Caught between state censorship and self-censorship: Prosecution and intimidation of media workers in Myanmar

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https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23531&LangI
D=E
US Department of State-Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Affairs. (2017).
BURMA 2017 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT. Washington DC: Bureau of Democracy,
Human Rights and Labor Affairs.
Wiles, E. (2015). Saffron shadows and salvaged scripts: literary life in Myanmar under
censorship and in transition. Columbia University Press.

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