"I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education."

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive summary

I. Introduction

II. Propaganda and Democracy

III. Propaganda in democratization process and democracy

IV. Netizens and politics on the net

V. Current Problem facing in Burma: Case Study: Bridging of informative communication by propaganda for democracy in Burma

VI. Recommendations

Executive Summary

The absence of media freedom is one of the major challenges for democratization process in Burma. It urgently needs emergence of new media to pave the way for propaganda with messages and information related to democracy and for the public good. Propaganda serves as informative function in that it tells people what to think about and how to behave. ¹

In this paper, I will try to highlight the background history and current situation of media controlled by military government in Burma. Especially I want to express my opinion on propaganda by using new media to Burmese public in providing knowledge and information as well as propaganda messages to achieve democracy. Military junta has been keen on carrying out its propaganda to persuade poorly educated and vulnerable people mostly from rural areas. The information provides to the public by country’s mass media including newspapers, TV, journals and magazines are intended for propaganda only. The countervailing forces by citizens and pro democracy groups can utilize new media for anti-propaganda of military government.

I also try to present the propaganda in the democratization process and how to deepen the democracy. Moreover, I also discuss how the netizens use new media as an effective weapon to do propaganda. But on the other hand, liberalization of news media is dangerous and seems as lies to the public. Free and misuse of propaganda has the negative effects on democracy. That is why I want to mention the point to be careful in using of propaganda effectively and not in a way of abusing it.

I also want Burmese people to become cybercitizens and having their opportunities in sharing viewpoints, furnishing information and fostering the internet as an intellectual, educational and social resource, and making choices for the self-assembled communities. Propaganda can be a penetrated mean of forming social groups who love democracy among netizens and then pass it forward to the all citizens.

In Burma, military regime uses the propaganda and censorship as a very effective weapon in governing the country. Therefore, I have a hope on internet new media, its potential of overcoming censorship, disseminating news content as it is and execute the propaganda for democratization in Burma. And, I also highlight the possibility of counter propaganda of military news media by using new media. Counter Propaganda will educate public in understanding basic human rights and democracy process. It will improve knowledge capacity of citizen and equip people with more intellect and power for socio-economic and democratic change in Burma.

The effectiveness and importance of new media role and its influence in public and citizen’s movement in Burma have been proved during Saffron revolution of monks in September, 2007 and cyclone Nargis disaster relief work and disaster management in May 2008. These are very good examples for showing the role of propaganda by new media. By bridging the information gap with consecutive propaganda to netizens, it can guide to the path to genuine democracy for Burma. Therefore, the recommendations will be summarized as citizens should try to become netizens and all related institutions should include the role of new media in their policy. The informed citizen and their informed choice, participatory governance, transparency and accountability, building of social trust and social net work, clear the corruption will be the key fundamental needs to be built to get reach to democracy.

 

 

I. INTRODUCTION

Problem statement

Burma is still far away from democracy and lack of freedom of news media and new media. Its citizens have been living in the darkness of information and media for many years whiles the rest of the world is interconnected in the era of globalization and information age. Under military regime, human rights abuse is practiced in daily basis and it is becoming a socio-political tradition and strict censorship practice is becoming media culture in Burma. The new media industry in Burma is almost totally monopolized by military government and elite minority of tyranny. Without harnessing the public, how could they become informed citizens? How could the people attain knowledge and information in an array of human rights, democracy and good governance? How could the people have chances to express their ideas and claiming the rights of the citizens? Democratization process could only progress with the right propaganda and development and effective utilization of new media by the citizens.

Burma military government violates basic human rights by blocking its citizens from freedom of expression. Public is not well informed in many areas and their capability of understanding citizens rights, political knowledge and democracy are challenged and put to the test under military government’s media darkness. It needs to strengthen participatory democracy by investigating and exposing public relations spin and propaganda, and by promoting media literacy and citizen journalism.² In Burma, there is lack of media freedom as citizens and mass media community have no right to highlight and illuminate the disclosure of real and true news.

By constructing the media freedom in Burma, sharing transparent information and good propaganda for democracy is indeed needed emergently. On the other hand, the military rulers are using their propaganda on all state owned media as the most effective tool to create a socio-political environment where the citizens are ignorant of politics, blinded their knowledge of citizens’ rights and democratization process. Especially people in the small towns and rural areas are the most vulnerable and tendency to easily fall into regime’s propaganda trap and psychological warfare. Therefore, counter propaganda by new media to military government’s propaganda is required within its full range of freedom and capacity.

But on the contrary to free propaganda, there is a danger of liberalization of propaganda. By balancing of propaganda in between the fine line of freedom versus liberalization and monopoly versus tight control, the citizen can be well informed regarding democracy and human rights knowledge including the transition, liberalization, deepening and consolidation of democracy in the developing countries. Setting media freedom and public propaganda is essential and play crucial role for democratization as well as deepening of democracy. Right public propaganda on media also will act as public education in broader range. Without effective and efficient media in the country, the process of democratization could not get progressed and democracy could not be prevailed in that developing country.

Therefore, I want to mention that propaganda by new media with its full range of freedom is essential for democratization process and deepening of democracy in this paper.

However, the liberalization of news media is dangerous and seems as lies to the public. Liberalization and misuse of propaganda have the negative effects on democracy as that information prevents discouraging debate and allows people to listen only to those opinions that they agree with. ³ Propaganda can lead to partial information associated with suppression by omissionHe describes that worse than sensationalistic hype is the “artful avoidance” of stories that might be truly sensational stories (as opposed to sensationalistic stories).Such stories he says are often “downplayed or avoided outright” and that sometimes, “the suppression includes not just vital details but the entire story itself” even important ones., attack and destroy the target,Parenti says, “When omission proves to be an insufficient mode of censorship and a story somehow begins to reach larger publics, the press moves from artful avoidance to frontal assault in order to discredit the story”.In this technique, the media will resort to discrediting the journalist, saying things like this is “bad journalism”, etc., thus attempting to silence the story or distract away from the main issue. labeling, preemptive assumption, face-value transmission, slighting of content, false balancing and framing^{. 4} In addition, focusing on leaders’ thoughts is often a kind of propaganda. Therefore, proper strategic planning to do propaganda is very important in using to achieve a well developed and sustainable democracy in a country.

• • “The most effective propaganda,” Parenti says, “relies on framing rather than on falsehood. By bending the truth rather than breaking it, using emphasis and other auxiliary embellishments, communicators can create a desired impression without resorting to explicit advocacy and without departing too far from the appearance of objectivity. Framing is achieved in the way the news is packaged, the amount of exposure, the placement (front page or buried within, lead story or last), the tone of presentation (sympathetic or slighting), the headlines and photographs, and, in the case of broadcast media, the accompanying visual and auditory effects.”
  • Furthermore, he points out that “Many things are reported in the news but few are explained.” Ideologically and politically the deeper aspects are often not articulated: “Little is said about how the social order is organized and for what purposes. Instead we are left to see the world as do mainstream pundits, as a scatter of events and personalities propelled by happenstance, circumstance, confused intentions, bungled operations, and individual ambition — rarely by powerful class interests.”

II. Propaganda in a democracy

"What democracy requires is public debate, and not information. Of course, it needs information, too, but the kind of information it needs can be generated only by vigorous popular debate. We do not know what we need to know until we ask the right questions, and we can identify the right questions only by subjecting our own ideas about the world to the test of public controversy. . "

Christopher Lasch ⁵

Propaganda is a form of communication that is different from persuasion because it attempts to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist. Persuasion is trans-active and attempts to satisfy the needs of both persuader and persuade. A model of propaganda depicts how elements of informative and persuasive communication may be incorporated in propagandistic communication. References are made to past theories of rhetoric that indicates that propaganda has had few systematic theoretical treatment prior to the twentieth century. Public opinion and behavior change can be affected by propaganda. ⁶

Propaganda is neutrally defined as a systematic form of purposeful persuasion that attempts to influence the emotions, attitudes, opinions, and actions of specified target audiences for ideological, political or commercial purposes through the controlled transmission of one-sided messages (which may or may not be factual) via mass and direct media channels.⁷ The desired result is a change of the cognitive narrative of the subject in the target audience to further a political agenda. ⁸ Propaganda is the deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist. ⁹ Propaganda use the informative communication. ¹⁰

Propaganda may appear to be informative communication when ideas are shaped, something is explained, or instruction takes place, Information communicated by the propagandist may appear to be indisputable and totally factual. The propagandist is to promote his own objectives. Thus, the propagandist will attempt to control information flow and manage a certain public’s opinion by shaping perceptions through strategies of informative communication. ¹¹ Ultimately, the goal of propaganda is to manipulate behavior and behavior patterns, external rather than internal public opinion is sought. Propaganda is a form of communication and how it utilizes both informative and persuasive communication concepts to promote its own objectives by controlling the flow of information, managing public opinion, and manipulating behavior patterns. ¹²

Propaganda could refer simply to an active process of mass persuasion. Propaganda is designed to influence opinion rather than purely communicate fact; however, there are several important differences between the two. Persuasion utilizes critical argument and weighs all sides of an issue. On the other hand, propaganda is entirely one sided. While a persuasive message works best with a focused and active recipient, propaganda depends on a mindless audience. Propaganda manipulates symbols as well as and basic human emotions and prejudices in order to influence opinion. Propaganda is generally an appeal to emotion and shares techniques with advertising and public relations to create and distribute persuasion. ¹³ Propaganda is usually associated with many tactics including incompleteness, inaccuracy, driving the agenda, milking the story. ¹⁴

III. Why propaganda is important for democracy?

“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society,”

Bernays ¹⁵

Yet the power is flowing from people to the government, the leaders need the support and rapport of the public. In a representative democracy, the public voice and choice is the key peril for the government. In that sense, the key player becomes citizens and their engagement in the politics. The citizens must be well informed to able to make the right choice which is the prerequisite of the invisible power source.

How to get informed citizens? Yes, the answer is by educating citizens about political knowledge by propaganda. White propaganda can be issued from an acknowledged source. This type of propaganda is associated with overt psychological operations. Then, it can influence the person, and his attitudes and opinions. The knowledge gained can change their previous perception and attitudes to become more friendly and open. It enhances the participatory habit. It will get the transparency among groups and making more cohesiveness. They can minimize disputes, conflicts and problems among them and maximize the productive outcome for common goals and common interest.

The informative communication makes citizens become knowledgeable and educated. The citizens form their own social nets and formulate the social culture. This social culture in turn changes into political culture. Since Democracy is the form of government in which the laws and government institutions are under the control of the people and all decisions are made by the citizens or their elected representatives. That is why the democratic society is the invisible government. The relationship between information and power is outstanding. Without information, the people have no power to make choices about their government, no ability to meaningfully participate in the decision-making process, to hold their governments accountable, to thwart corruption, to reduce poverty, or, ultimately, to live in a genuine democracy. ¹⁶

Media can produce and disseminate the information to public with influential power and it enables the people to know the government works and accountability. It makes citizen to choose right government and in turn, government can gain transparency and accountability through media. Therefore media can scrutinize the government’s action and illuminate the agenda. It can also act as a media watch dog for the society and government institutions. The media can stand for the forum of public voice.

Social capital is intangible but it creates obligation, expectation and trustworthiness among same aimed groups through changes in the relationship among persons who facilitates the function. Social capital embodied in relations among persons. An important form of social capital is the potential for information that adheres in social relations. Information is important in providing a basis for action. That is why information flow is very important in social groups. Propaganda is a key for setting of norms.¹⁷

IV. NETIZENS and politics on the netAs Danny Schechter asks on this issue, “why do we in the media go along with this approach time and again? We are not stupid. We are not robots. Too many of us have DIED trying to get this story (and other stories). Ask any journalists and they will tell you that no one tells them what to write or what to do. Yet there is a homogenized flavor and Pentagon echo to much coverage of this war that shames our profession. Why? Is it because reporters buy into the ideology of the mission? Because there are few visible war critics to provide dissenting takes? Or is it because information management has been so effective as to disallow any other legitimate approach? An uncritical stance is part of the problem. Disseminating misinformation often adds up to an inaccurate picture of where we are in this war.”

• • Stratfor, a global intelligence consultant comments on the war on terrorism saying that the media have become cheerleaders as “Coverage of the ‘war on terrorism’ has reversed the traditional role between the press and the military.” The problem with this, as they continue, is that “The reversal of roles between media and military creates public expectations that can affect the prosecution of the war.” Or, more bluntly put, the media becomes an effective mouthpiece for propaganda.

"I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education."

Thomas Jefferson ¹⁸

The citizens must have the rights to access, to develop, to share and to discuss the information among themselves with free of fear. They also must have a chance to advocate the responsibilities and to strengthen their own networks. The citizen must also be given opportunity to discuss and debate and argue the ideas freely and the civil societies have an opportunity to comment and advice to the government. Those rights can be accessed online as advancement and developments in new technology will give them a prospect to participate as citizen on cyberspace. Most of useful information should be available on internet websites and it has also created a platform for the individuals who can send and share information to the outside world in instant. It is also an efficient tool for people from across the globe to perform pro-democracy and human rights advocacy works and campaigns in well organized manners. Internet has brought a public sphere or public space for discussion and exchange of news and information openly and freely. Therefore, cyberspace has become new form of powerful and active public sphere of politics in 21^st century and citizens become netizens.

A citizenship emerged on the Internet and  embody their ability to participate in the decisions
 that govern one's society and people in this citizenship refers to "netizens".19 Netizens use
 the Internet to engage in activities of extended social groups, such as giving and receiving
 viewpoints, furnishing information, fostering the Internet as an intellectual and a social
 resource, and making choices for the self-assembled communities. Generally, a netizen 
can be any user of the worldwide, unstructured forums of the Internet. 20 Netizens 
understand the value of collective work and the communal aspects of public communications
. They discuss and debate topics in a constructive manner.

The development of internet is an investment in a strong force towards making direct democracy a reality. These new technologies present the opening opportunity to overcome the obstacles preventing the implementation of direct democracy. These new communication technologies hold the potential for the implementation of direct democracy in a country as long as the there is sufficient infrastructure. The online public sphere can make access and circulation of information and democratic knowledge development. It can also enhance and facilitates the debate of general interest, especially of political nature and community based.

Many groups of people with common interest are formed online. Netizens can use internet from their home, from their work place, from the school or internet cafes. They are active in world wide web (www) based on web2.0, which hosts for social networking sites and they are self responsive and proactive persons to make growth of networking. They use e-mails, online chatting, instant messaging, forums, blogs and comments systems and information sharing among their online community. They use YouTube for sharing videos, movies as very effective and supportive tools among community. They share documentary films, public speeches, news and variety video messages on YouTube. In addition,, they use many social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace and many others similar websites to make friends, form groups, organize campaign events and share common interest, ideas and information. Netizens can also do the teleconference, presentations and discussion forum through podcast and webcast. Intellectually stimulating discussions, interactive open communication and taking initiative to mobilize the rest of public in the arena of democratization are some of common practices made by netizens on internet public sphere. The growing online community also takes initiative in mobilizing offline community.

In fact, internet can deliver more and diverse information to citizens faster speed and cheaper cost. It can disclose information about politicians in cyber space that works 24 hours, transmit quickly the demands of people to their representatives through two-way cyber communication, and enable politicians to respond to people's demands in their policy making and legislations in a speedy manner. In addition, netizens can make use of Internet as collective action place of monitoring, pressuring and protesting that works 24 hours and can establish the system of constant political accountability.²¹

The democratization is an indication of the creation of a radical, socio-technical paradigm to challenge the dominant, neo liberal and technologically determinist model of information and communication technology. ²² That is why online activities and interactions done by netizens are crucial for democratization. The open communication and good propaganda deepens democracy too if the propagandist can use new media effectively for the good of public. Emerging networks and public spheres by new media and propaganda among net users prosper the productive discussions. The discussion and deliberation are sharpened when participants understand the choices among alternative courses of action must be made.²³

Netizens can do discussion and sharing of information on web as new media can help tremendously in term of speed and freedom. It also helps simplicity. Computer based digitalized media is the newest form of media. ²⁴ It also encourage a politics of solitude in which privatized individuals can sit at home in front of electronic screens and view the world and its political choices as so many consumers alternatives. ²⁵New media encourage the direct democracy.²⁶New technology is information based rather than knowledge based. Knowledge is the key to political competence as well as culture and civilization. The segmented new media specializes the niche market and individual. And this will advantage the politics of special interests. ²⁷

IV. Current problem facing in Burma

Case Study: Bridging of informative communication by propaganda for democracy in Burma

If we are keen on truly becoming an ownership society, the most important thing the people must own is their democracy, which implies owning their government and their own identities.

Nolan Bowie, Treating Money as Free Speech, The Boston Globe ²⁸

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that, “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”. But currently in Burma, citizens are living under media darkness and totally lack of media freedom.

Under military regime, abuse of human rights is practiced in daily basis and it is becoming a socio-political tradition and strict censorship practice is becoming media culture in Burma. The new media industry in Burma is almost totally monopolized by military government and elite minority of tyranny. Burma Military use propaganda as an effective weapon for stability of their power and to persuade ignorant public to be their force. The press is the fourth essential stake of democratization after parliament, the legislature and the judiciary. As the result of those happenings created by the military government, free media as well as new media cannot come out for democratization process.

Flash back to Burma media history

In 1962, General Ne Win seized the state power and started establishment of censor ship body. It was called as press scrutiny board which had to strict on print media especially at that time. It also had intention to overwhelm the political rights and civil liberties too. It was the very early oppression of media freedom. ²⁹ No print media as well as television broadcasting could come out after strict censorship. Even, the video cassette tapes and movies need censorship. In general, the whole media has been monopolized, overwhelmed by military junta since then. Apart from that, the political debates are not allowed to do.

The freedom of press situation in Burma is getting worsening in recent years. Media related people are feeling defenseless. Journalist or author who tries to challenge the policy of military regime has to be punished or even long term imprisonment. The government systematically restricted access to electronic media. Burma's military exercises tight controls over the Internet, banning access to news websites, and free email services. The junta disconnected the nation's Internet links at the height of the violence to cut off the information flow about the crackdown in 2007. The military government has been threatened by bloggers and civilian citizen journalists who are doing the consecutive posts on their blogs by using new media.

In Burma, there is a need of emergence of new media to do the propaganda with the messages concerning with democracy and for the public good. By constructing the media freedom in Burma, sharing transparent information and propaganda for democracy is indeed needed emergently.

Propaganda by Military

On the other hand, the military rulers are using their propaganda on all state owned media as the most effective tool to create a socio-political environment where the citizens are ignorant of politics, blinded their knowledge of citizen rights and democratization process. Especially people in the rural areas are the most vulnerable and tendency to easily fall into regime’s propaganda trap and psychological warfare and as the consequence the tendency of social divide and ideological divide among community in Burma.

Therefore counter propaganda by new media to military government’s propaganda is required within its full range of freedom and capacity. But on the contrary to free propaganda, there is a danger of liberalization of propaganda. By balancing of propaganda in between the fine line of freedom versus liberalization and monopoly versus tight control, the citizen can be informed well of democracy and human rights knowledge including the transition, liberalization, deepening and consolidation of democracy in the developing countries. Setting media freedom and public propaganda is essential and play crucial role for democratization as well as deepening of democracy.

New Media and Saffron Revolution in Burma

In Burma, bloggers are trying to post the most current affairs regarding with politics, unfair and bad deeds of military junta. The active internet users and netizens also write their blogs and post the current affairs in and out Burma mostly in Google’s blog spots. The C-Box option in these blogs provides the interaction among users and bloggers and discussion gives productive idea and new perspective. C-Box acts as an open public forum among citizens. It also helps forming the same aimed groups and increases the social capital and social net. By sharing intellectual, information and knowledge among them, it has become the process of progressive and self sustainable social capital building process especially among younger generation.

Bloggers played most important roles of true news source during Saffron revolution, Buddhist monks led nationwide protest. The military authority cracked down brutally the protest in September 2007. At that time, the bloggers acted as citizen journalists and informing public with current event not only by text, but also with messages, photos and videos. The voices of citizens are heard not only within the country but it goes beyond border and to the rest of the world. Technology have equipped citizens with new knowledge and new methodology in mobilizing, informing community for democratic reform, social justice and socio-economic change by means of IT and electronic and it can be recognized as citizen’s initiation of e-democracy.

Bloggers, new media, citizen journalists and Cyclone Nargis

Again, during Cyclone Nargis happened in May, 2008 in Burma, the netizens took key role in disseminating of news and sharing information. The bloggers and citizen journalists could actively report the real situation and developments of disaster in the country from citizen’s perspective and highlighting government mismanagement and policy failure in emergency rescue and relief efforts. They also could mobilize and organize community. These active internet users and bloggers emerged as a powerful movement to give pressure to the governments and international community to get involved. Via their accurate reports, they could highlight policy failure and slow responses in rescue and relief efforts by the military government and weaknesses in disaster management.

These active citizens inside the country also effectively communicated to their compatriots in overseas. As a result, many Burmese living in abroad could mobilize overseas community and perform public awareness campaigning, fund raising, lobbying foreign governments. As the consequences, it helps to build a stronger social capacity among overseas Burmese and within Burma. The action and movement of these active netizens community have motivated and inspired hundreds of thousands of ordinary Burmese to get involve more actively in social and community developments, political and human rights movements in the foreign countries.

Currently facing problems in summary

Even though some citizens may live far away from their home country, because of new media and internet, they can still actively participate community activities in their home country by online and they can still actively get involved in democratization process and community developments. There have been many human rights, pro democracy campaigns and movements organized by Burmese online community living in different countries.These movements are well organized and become global scale. It motivates and provides moral support Burmese people inside the country and it also help to increase foreign government’s and international attention on Burma issue and highlight suffering of Burmese people.

Yet there are many problems facing by the people in Burma under military government. The still continue its strict restriction on internet use, serious punishment and long term jail sentences to bloggers and journalists. . The military regime is repeatedly trying to deny all genuine democratic activities and practices among citizens. The regime is doing the propaganda of its own institutional survival and the strict media law and intimidation are hindering the motivation and activities of younger generation and netizens. Moreover, the infrastructure is also poor for internet usage and citizens have very limited access to internet. According to Open Net Initiative report, there is only 0.56 percent of population in Burma can access to internet. ³⁰. However, even though not statistic data are available, this number will be many times higher at present as there are tremendous amount of increase in internet access in many cities and town across the country in the past 2 years in Burma.

V. Policy options or recommendations

"To improve is to change, to be perfect is to change often."

Winston Churchill

Democracy in Burma can only be achieved by multi spectrum approach of government and non government institutions and foreign nation as well as participation of citizens. Among many factors, the freedom of media and development and freedom of new media as major pillars for democratization process for Burma. Freedom of both media and new media will cultivate the propaganda and guide people to its own path of democratization. Therefore, media play crucial role and empowering people of Burma to escape from their own darkness.

Implementing innovative effective policy by all concerned parties based on the on going social pattern change and understanding the strength of citizens is fundamental requirement for socio-economic and political change in Burma. With the given facts and lessons learnt from the case of Burma, taking into account of new mass media role in propaganda, new media of internet and cyberspace apparently become a crucial area for democratization process.

There are still many challenges for new media and transforming citizens to netizens as internet and other telecommunication system are under government’s control in many developing countries, the cost for infrastructure and limitation in public access to internet and new media. The role of new media and its level of effectiveness in democratization of a country will be still debatable. In Burma case, entire information communication technology infrastructure and internet services are completely under military regime. However, the role and impact of new media in recent events in Burma such as saffron revolution and cyclone Nargis have illuminated the importance of new media role even in the authoritarian country like Burma. Propaganda, knowledge, news and information that flow from the channel of new media can penetrate the media protection and media censorship regulations wall build by military regime.

Corruption and black box management of the country can be eliminated by informed citizen and informed choice, participatory governance with transparency and accountability. The propaganda with good intention and for betterment of public will accelerate developments of democratization process, transform the social system and create a progressive democratic society in Burma. It will also help for social pattern change for developments and building of social trust and social network and capacity.

The good results in social and political transformation can be achieved by multi spectrum approach and participation of citizens from all walk of lives. Among many factors that involved in a country democratization process, the development of mass media, freedom of news media and new media are becoming major pillars. This will cultivate the channel of propaganda and guide people to their own path of democratization while educating the citizens about their rights, responsibilities and roles. Therefore, media play crucial role and empowering people of Burma to escape from their own darkness and suffering.

Some of policy options are recommended for stakeholders who involved in democratization process in Burma.

1. Freedom of media in Burma,

Burma will not achieve a genuine democracy without media freedom. Ruling military government is solely responsible for the relaxing media regulations and encouraging freedom of expression and open discussion among citizens, political parties and even among government agencies. Giving media freedom to the public and allowing a public sphere that favor freedom of opinion are crucial and the role of media is to be included and the voice of public are to be heard when implementing any public policy, laying down democratic roadmap, holding national referendum, drawing a constitution or calling for an election. The negative impact caused by absence of freedom of new media and news media in the country is that it will continue to generate unstable political situation and socio-economic hardship in Burma. Moreover, ethnic and religious conflict will not be resolved without free political dialogue and media freedom and open public opinion. Even though Burma is of a fragile sate, Burmese military government still could open up certain level of media freedom within their authority if the regime genuinely wants to build up a democratic society in Burma. Basic right of freedom of opinion and speech of citizens are to be honored. All public policies implemented by the government must include the role of mass media and educating citizens for progressive democratization in the country based on the nationally and globally changing social pattern and trend. Military government in Burma should work hand to hand with local and international mass media professionals and community to speed up country’s democratization process.

2. Development and freedom of new media

There should be a room and space for new media which is very important in the information technology era. Only freedom of new media and news media will educate and inform people for complete picture of democratization process. New media and news media freedom must be a top priority during the national reconciliation and dialogue process. Opening up news media and allowing international journalists and news media observers in this process as watch dog and guards will enhance transparency of governance and democratic reform process. The role of new media is inevitable in this era of globalization and developments and freedom of new media is key for the future success and speeding up the social-economic and political change.

3. Citizens become well informed and keen on surfing internets as Netizens

Fundamental forces and power of the country lie on its own people. Citizens should try to be self initiative in becoming netizens by using internet and educate themselves by reading the local and international news, understanding basic citizen rights and democratic norm and value. The social nets have to be formed among them and to consolidate the social culture that nurtures political affairs. Informed citizen and informed choice, participatory governance, transparency and accountability, building of social trust and social network play the key role for democracy. Only Freedom of new media and news media will educate and inform people for complete picture of democratization process.

4. Effective and innovative policy of external drivers

Existing foreign policy towards Burma adopted by the western nations, especially US and EU are not effectively helping for any democratic transformation in Burma for the past 20 years. From the standpoints of international law, foreign governments should implement innovative strategic policy that drives external pressures and critical engagement to Burma by not only political dimension alone but also socio economic and cultural dimensions for the regime change in the country. Democratic developed nations need to support and increase funding for news and new media and propaganda that aim not only to the ordinary citizens but also the military government, their business associates and members of entire military institution. Over the long run, the propaganda in news media and new media campaign will help achieving positive outcome and leverage democratization process in Burma. All policy should include the factor of new media impact on generation change, social pattern change to government change.

5. Innovative approach of policy and strategy by pro democracy groups

Burmese pro-democracy forces need to find new campaigning strategy, lobbying external drivers; foreign governments and international institutions. Pro democracy leaders must adopt be innovative in public engagements, new policy strategy and use effective propaganda to mobilize and organize community based on changing social pattern for achievable democratization process. Conventional methodology and strategy will not produce any good results and innovative approaches are needed. Policy implemented by opposition parties and ethnic groups within Burma and in exiles should realize the importance of new media role and create innovative propaganda to reach out critical demographic of netizens as well as grassroots level community. The political activists, pro democracy forces and opposition parties of Burma need to enhance their ability and movement by equipping themselves with critical media and propaganda skills in new media.

6. Enhancing the strength of netizens and utilizing their capabilities

Historically, in Burma, most of the events that trigger for potential democratic or social change are initiated by university students and young people from the big cities and urban area. In recent years, this demographic is becoming more internet and cyber savvy. They are hunger for information and knowledge, full of hope in change for their future and reshaping the country’s socio-political system. They are active user of internet and becoming netizens and cyber dissidents of the country and they emerge as the quiet and strong forces for the social change inside the country. All pro-democracy forces and international community should acknowledge, encourage and support these new changes in social pattern by all means and build the new social capacity.

Their capabilities and strength are to be fully utilized in democratization process in Burma. The technology and internet has created new social pattern change and citizens’ habit in participating social and political activities. Especially, in younger demographic, this trend will continue to get momentum in the future. All public policy should include new concept and innovative approach by considering this factor. Traditional and conventional approach and methodology of propaganda need to be modified with the demand of 21st century social pattern change. Policy makers should acknowledge that this new generation of growing netizens community needs to be equipped with high intelligent, knowledge and information as they are becoming capable community for the democratization and social change in Burma. These youths will be taking over new generation of leadership roles of Burma in another 10 to 20 years time and these netizens are the ones who will be shaping future democratization process of Burma.

In summary and conclusion,

propaganda and democracy is very broad area to be discussed especially its correlation and impact of public participatory in democratization process. The important role of new media, the changing social pattern of netizens and new public sphere in cyberspace and their impact are worth to be further explored. Technology is changing in accelerated growth and so does the social pattern of the 21^st century world. Even all developing countries and authoritarian dictatorship country like Burma could not stop the momentum of these changes. Therefore, all policy makes, politician, scholars and advocates as well as every citizen of the country should take opportunity of rapidly changing pattern of mass media for democracy, socio-economic developments and betterment of the people in the interest country or the region.

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