TR EMERITUS

By AHUNT PHONE MYAT from Democratic Voice of Burma The military government in Burma has launched a new international television channel, presented by foreigners, that sources say could be a means to counter “mistrust” of Burmese reporters. Myanmar International TV (MITV) is a product of the junta’s Ministry of Information, home to the notoriously draconian Press Scrutiny and Registration Division, the government’s censor board. “The programmes are being presented by foreigners hired from Singapore who mainly promote travel and tourism in Burma,” said a Rangoon journalist close to the operating media group, Shwe Than Lwin. He added that the majority of the daily two-hour programmes, which will broadcast inside Burma on the MRTV-3 channel and internationally via satellite, “are focused on culture, tradition and environment – topics that will gain interest from the international audience”. But another source close to the group told DVB said that the reason for hiring Singaporean presenters went further than simply giving an international edge to the programmes. “There is an argument that foreigners will only believe what other foreigners say, but not the Burmese who repeatedly praise the country,” he said. Every television broadcast or piece of published information in Burma is required to pass through the regime’s censor board, which diligently checks for any signs of dissent against the military rulers. Those deemed guilty can expect harsh retaliation, including lengthy spells in prison, and so self-censorship has become the norm in the pariah state. This means that journalists have little choice but to broadcast state propaganda. Media watchdogs, such as the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, consistently rank Burma at the tail-end of media freedom indexes, largely due to the ongoing imprisonment of opposition journalists and tight restrictions on the freedom of the media to operate independently of the government. Source: DVB  Read More →

As Chiam See Tong goes under the spotlight for wanting to contest the Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC in the next coming election (unless there are boundaries changes), his age and health conditions were under heavy scrutinization by the media and netizens alike. However, it seemed that the media had conviniently forgotten about Mr Teo Chee Hean and his words of wisdom as well as action that rocked the nation. Sleeping Beauty Teo Who would had forgotten how Mr Teo Chee Hean slept while his DPM Wong Kan Seng was speaking - and that in the full glory of the television screen. While Mr Teo may be potrayed as being deep in thoughts, had Mr Chiam been caught doing the same, it would be headline news with the caption: Chiam too old for his seat. Teo's Words of Wisdom Spotted on the Young PAP's Facebook were the quotes: "You cannot watch the PAP and know if the elections are coming. Once the elections are over, we already start working the ground. It becomes so boring and so routine the media never reports on it. I don't know when the elections will be. I can only tell you that with each passing day, the elections come one day closer." Mr Teo actually labelled ground work as 'boring and so routine'. Does that mean that 'Meet the People Session' and even Community Projects are just 'wayang' tools for the MPs and Ministers alike? This coming out from the mouth of a PAP stronghold holds a lot of work. As if the statement holds minimum weight, would Mr Teo agree that none of the Oppositions' community work had gone notice by the media since the PAP was in control? Had Mr Teo also turn petty because the media highlighted the walkabout done by the SDA and RP? Of course, his statement holds some truth as well as he correctly pointed out that "once the elections are over, we already start working the ground". Work the ground they did in the last election when electricity bills are ever-increasing, houses become more unaffordable and transportation fees increases. Thus, I urge readers to vote wisely and not put someone who sleeps and find ground work 'boring and routine' into the Parliament. Vote for people who can talk and make OUR views heard in Parliament. The Choice is Yours! Contributed by: Joel Kong  Read More →

[email protected] Human beings are weird creatures. They like to work together in groups, then make other groups their enemies and pick a fight. This animal instinct has not changed since the dawn of time. As Europe prepares for El Clasico this weekend, TR Sports take a global tour and pick up the top 8 football rivalries in modern club football. _________________________________________________________________________________ 50% opinion, 50% facts – based on recent events between the two clubs _________________________________________________________________________________ 8 ) Arsenal – Tottenham Hotspurs (England) As both clubs are based in North London, these two very successful English clubs will inevitably become rivals, as fans fight for bragging rights over their neighbours. The hatred for each other intensified in the summer of 2001, when Sol Campbell, a product of the Tottenham academy, opted to join Arsenal on a free transfer. This sparked much reaction from the Spurs’ fans and Campbell had become a booing target ever since.  7) Fenerbahce – Galatasaray (Turkey) The top two most successful clubs in Turkish football have a strong sense of hatred against each other. Galatasaray was formed by well-to-do students and draw fans from the middle-upper class of the Istanbul population. Fenerbahce tend to draw fans from the working class. It is often said that when these two sides meet, the streets of Istanbul will be times quieter than usual. 6) Catania – Palermo (Italy) This is known Derby di Sicilia (Sicilian Derby) and for the home of the mafia, it is not surprising that both set of fans had been extremely violent against each other over the years. The most unfortunate incidents of all happened in 2007, when a policeman was killed in a riot which broke out on the streets of Catania after a fiery game. Since then this fixture is the most policed game on the Serie A calendar. 5) Liverpool – Manchester United (England) – Current United club captain Gary Neville once said, “I was brought up in a street where I was told to hate Scousers.” The town cities are just 45 km apart and economic rivalry in the 1960s had became a football rivalry over the years. Before the end of this season, the two most successful clubs in English football have 18 titles each. Liverpool had struggled much over the past two decades or so and they can only hope that either Chelsea or Arsenal do them a favour this year but stopping United. 4) Barcelona – Real Madrid (Spain) They call this the El Clasico in Spain and the strong rivalry came about because Madrid and Barcelona are the two largest cities in the country. Historically, Real Madrid had represented the ruling central Spanish government, while Barcelona is the de facto symbol of Catalonia nationalism. It is no surprise that both clubs are also the top two most successful in Spanish football. The match this coming weekend will no doubt be the most watch in years, as it is likely to determine the winner of this year’s La Liga title. Given the amount of talent available to both sides, there is no doubt that this upcoming encounter will be a cracker of a game. 3) Celtic – Rangers (Scotland) – The Old Firm derby is one of the world oldest derbies, dating back to 1888 according to most sources. What is interesting is that the Old Firm is more than a football rivalry – it often pits religious and political attitudes against each other. Celtic have strong Irish roots and a majority of their fans are Catholic. Their supporters tend to be Republicans, deem to be against the central British government in London. On the other hand, Rangers fans are usually Protestants and tend to be Unionists. At the height of football hooliganism in the UK in the 1980s, fights between both set of fans are common and since 1996, there had been eight deaths linked directly to Old Firm matches. 2) Millwall – West Ham (England) When a few films (Green Street / Football Factory) used this rivalry as a backdrop to their plots, you know it has to be intense. The last time these two sides met in August 2009, there was a widespread riot outside Upton Park as the police found themselves unprepared to deal with violence not seen since the 1980s. A man was stabbed and the pitch was invaded as well. The next season might be an interesting one as West Ham is now struggling in the top flight while Millwall is having a sensational run in League One – could they both end up in the League Championship next year? The London police are probably wishing this scenario will not happen…. 1) Boca Juniors – River Plate (Argentina) The class divide in the Argentine society is evident here, with the working class supporting Boca and the upper-class rooting for River Plate. Both set of fans go to great lengths to taunt each other and violence is very common whenever these sides met. In 2004, British newspaper The Observer named this derby game as the number one in the list of “50 sporting things you must do before you die”, cementing this match as the perhaps the most intense rivalry in the world of football today.  Read More →