24 May 2015 -- The authorities in Burma didn't grant permission for publication of news in Zolai, a dialect widely spoken in northern parts of Chin State.
Deputy Union Minister of Information Pike Htwe said that the application for publishing a newspaper in Zolai had been rejected because it could cause further division among the ethnic tribal groups.
He added that if publication in Zolai was granted, it would draw similar applications from other tribes and hence make it even more difficult as there are many dialects in Chin State.
Meanwhile, the Chin Media Network condemned the deputy Union minister for rejecting such a request, saying that it was constituted a governmental act of discrimination against ethnic nationalities while publication in Burmese had been granted.
In a statement released yesterday, the CMN said that it was a denial of the basic human rights of ethnic peoples and was also a violation of freedom of expression by the authorities.
Article 22 of the 2008 Constitution says that the Union shall assist to the development of language, literature, fine arts and culture of the national races.
The group called on the government of Burma to stop banning publication in ethnic languages of newspapers.#
Src: Chinland Guardian
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