Sep 28, 2007 (DVB), Many privately-owned weekly news journals in Burma have decided to stop publication in protest at official demands to publish pro-government propaganda.

Burmese authorities are ordering the publications to print articles written by state media and other stories blaming the All Burma Student's Democratic Front and the National League for Democracy for the protests.

"They are forcing us to publish their announcements and propaganda in our publications and we can't let them do that to us," said a Rangoon journalist.

Kumudra, Seven Days, Pyi Myanmar and many other news journals have decided to stop or suspend publication, and have already informed the censor board of their decision. Rather than give the real reason for their decision, they blamed the ongoing instability which is preventing journalists from being able to go out and report.

The journalist said that reporters from the weekly journals were this morning invited by information minister brigadier-general Kyaw Hsan to a domestic media informational tour to be organised by the censor board. Those who wanted to attend were asked to put their names on a list.

The journalist compared the current situation with that during the 88 uprising.

"In 88 journals published news about the riots and shootings, but it is not as easy to do that now. The situation has changed , soldiers are shooting at everything now , so we can't do it," said the journalist.

Reporting by Nay Htoo