Yin Yin Nwe, Upper Division Clerk (UDC) of the publishing licensing department, of the Censor Board under the Ministry of Information, was demoted to Library In-Charge rank. Another staff, censorship examiner May Suu Hlaing was also reprimanded, a source close to the Censor Board said.

“Yin Yin Nwe was transferred to another department under the Censor Board, this means demotion. She was demoted to Lower Division Clerk (LDC) from Upper Division Clerk (UDC). May Suu Hlaing was just reprimanded but not demoted. As she was a rookie in this department, she was spared from severe punishment,” he said.

According to the rules of the Censor Board, the publishing license must be surrendered to the department when the license holder dies. The publishing license of ‘Cherry’ magazine was transferred illegally to the new holder, without surrendering it to the concerned department, when the original license holder died. It is for this reason she was demoted, an editor of a weekly journal said.

“Only because of this poem, the staff was hauled up. The unauthorized license transfer is just a reason as it has been earlier. The censor examiner was also reprimanded for this poem, as she was responsible for the censorship on poems,” he added.

The poem appeared on page 7 of the June issue of ‘Cherry’ magazine. Under pressure exerted by the Censor Board, ‘Cherry’ magazine officials had to ask its Editor-in-Charge Htay Aung to resign from his post.