Voice Weekly Journal apologises for controversial photos

 

The photos appear to depict Suu Kyi greeting Muslim religious leaders with her hands positioned to signify a budding lotus. Facebook users commented on the photos accusing the politician of religious impropriety. However, other say the depictions of Suu Kyi appear out of context.

Suu Kyi’s bodyguard Soe Win said: “She greeted the religious leaders when meeting them first. Then, she paid respect to the monks. I don’t know how the photographer took these photos from the other side while she was paying respect to the monks.”

The Voice Weekly’s online editorial team apologised via Facebook post to those upset by the photos.

The publication’s Chief editor Kyaw Min Swe said: “We did not do it intentionally. And we did not make any change to the photo either. I think we should not have posted the disputable photo. This was the negligence of the online editorial team. I urged them to remove this photo shortly after I found out about it.”

“When Aung San Suu Kyi appeared at the event, and the hall was abuzz with people eager to greet her, taking pictures and videos. Among those who greeted her were religious leaders, including bes monks. When Aung San Suu Kyi reached the second row, Christian and Islamic leaders greeted her. After greeting the two of them, she turned to greet the monks by putting her hands together reverently. After that, she sat in the front row and gave a commemoration speech for Hanthawaddy Win Tin. Most photographers wanted to get a clear shot of Aung San Suu Kyi, so they zoomed and when they did so, only the two religious leaders were visible. Our photojournalist Zar Li Myint Oo got the same picture. Since those kinds of photos are misleading, and we discussed whether it was okay to use them because there were many cases on the internet before where edited pictures of Aung San Suu Kyi were used to attack her," said Aung Zaw Htun. 

Researcher Yan Myo Thein said: "As far as I know, The Voice Weekly journal uploaded the photo, then criticisms ensued and the photo was taken down. This is the second time the Voice Weekly has done something like this. The first time was the highly unethical case of the photo of student protestors being violently dispersed. News media are supposed to be ethical. Furthermore, the chief editor of The Voice is the Deputy Secretary of the Interim Press Council. It is not right for them to make mistakes and just apologise again and again. We need to ask why they did this and what objectives were in mind. If the aim was to cause discord between the public, ethnic groups, political parties and religious groups, then it should not be happen at all, from a lawful governance point of view."

“Anybody is cordially invited to come to the office of the Voice along with experts  to check the photos,” the publication announced.