Illusions of Freedom in Burma

CHIANG MAI - An apparent relaxation of media regulations suggests that Myanmar's once watertight censorship board has in recent months undergone something of a change of heart.

The amendment to the country's press laws in March to allow the majority of non-news journals to bypass pre-censorship was accompanied by last week's announcement that two Thailand-based dailies, the Bangkok Post and The Nation, will soon be allowed to hit newsstands in Yangon. Both events have helped to massage the carefully crafted image of a government loosening its grip on the media as it moves steadily towards democratic reform.