Myanmar to Curb Censorship of Media

The government of Myanmar said that it would no longer censor private publications, a move that journalists described as a major step toward media freedom in a country where military governments have tried for decades to control the flow of information. The announcement was made to editors and posted on a government Web site. “All publications in Myanmar are exempt from the scrutiny of Press Scrutiny and Registration Department,” the government said in a terse statement. Private publications in Myanmar have been thriving since President Thein Sein began taking steps last year to open up the country’s economy and move the country toward democracy.