The Than Lwin Times will include news in the Mon language starting from February 12.
“This is a trial run of our journal as private daily papers and ethnic language publications will be allowed from April,” said the journal's editor Min Min Nwe. “In this issue, there will be three pages in Mon language: two pages for news and a one-page feature.”
This is the first publication in the Mon language in Myanmar since the military government banned all ethnic publications when they took power in 1962. The present government announced on December 28, 2012 that ethnic language newspapers would be permitted from April this year. The Than Lwin Times have also applied to publish a bilingual monthly magazine. They said that they would publish this new magazine before Mon National Day on February 26. Several other ethnic state-based and Yangon-based journals plan to publish periodicals in ethnic languages soon.
Win Tin, a veteran and noted journalist, said that granting ethnic language publications would contribute to and complement the national reconciliation process. “We need to make these ethnic languages flourish, but the important point is to make them work correctly,” Win Tin said.