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From VOA Learning English, |
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this is the Technology Report. |
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The government in Burma |
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carries out much of its business |
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the same way it has for years. |
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It uses large books to record marriages, |
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business taxes and even official documents |
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between government agencies. |
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But this paper-based system is going away, |
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as ministries make the move to computers. |
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Myint Kyaw is head of the information department |
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in Burma's Ministry of the Information. |
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He is responsible for the program |
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that aims to bring all 36 ministries online by 2015. |
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Under the plan, |
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each ministry will have its own web-portal |
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and administrative software programs. |
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Myint Kyaw says social networks like Facebook |
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will make it easier for government officials |
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to connect with the public. |
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"So many people from our country use Facebook, |
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very easy way to get information. |
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To put the more information, they can distribute, |
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they can contribute personal information |
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and organizational information." he said. |
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Facebook is the most widely used tool |
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for communicating online in Burma. |
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Only about one percent of Burma's population |
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has an internet connection, |
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but most of those users are believed to have Facebook accounts. |
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This year, only an American-based group Freedom House |
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described the Internet in Burma as "not free". |
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It noted barriers to availability and poor infrastructure |
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as major problems. |
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However, restrictions have been eased on many websites |
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that formerly will blocked, |
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and the most severe sentence |
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for a violation of the electronic transactions act |
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has been reduced from 15 to 7 years. |
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Yet observers say Burmese officials still have a long way |
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to go to create a free Internet environment. |
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Nay Phone Latt is a blogger and former political prisoner. |
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He once was charged with crimes |
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under the electronic transactions act. |
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Now that he is free, |
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he is advising the government on its communication policies. |
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He says the government is now using the Internet |
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to ask the public for comments, |
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a big change from even a few years ago. |
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"In the earlier days, the government think they are |
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in the higher ranks and they can decide everything; |
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people's advice... |
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actually in a democratic society |
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the key player is not only the government," he said. |
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Internet service first came to Burma in 2000, |
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at first it was offered only to the military. |
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Service expanded slowly |
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and remained much too costly for most Burmese. |
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But now people are using smartphones to go online, |
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that helps to explain the recent jump |
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in the number of Internet users. |
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And that is the Technology Report from VOA Special English. |
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I'm June Simms. |