Myanmar Media Historically and the Challenges of Transition 21 from the censorship that characterized communications under military rule. Started by students, the protests transformed within a short time into a nationwide strike. A large number of newspapers, press sheets and other publications emerged, many with biting satirical commentary on the political scene under General Ne Win and rule by the Burma Socialist Program Party (BSPP). Political cartooning re-emerged, ridiculing General Ne Win and the BSPP, and Ayaun Thit, a journal produced by the newly established Artists and Cartoonists Union of Burma, printed cartoons as posters and displayed them at demonstrations (Leehey 1997; Lent 1995). The year 1988 also saw the formation of the Musicians Union (Smith 1991). Evidence of this creative proliferation can be found in the nearly one hundred unofficial, independent publications from this period documented and archived in the British Library, including a lot of information that was unavailable in the mainstream private or state-run media of the time and many courageous statements from older, senior journalists who had long been silenced (Allott 1993). Even the state-run newspapers reported more accurately during this period (Smith 1991). The ban on foreign journalists was temporarily lifted. Students used the available space to organize small group communication structures that later became an underground opposition movement, exemplifying a history of student agitation for change (Brooten 2003). On 18 September a coup d’état brought a new military configuration, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), to power, which then imposed martial law and banned all public protests. Newspapers were banned, with the exception of the state-run Lok-tha Pyei-thu Nei-zin and its English-language version, the Working People’s Daily (Allott 1993). Strict censorship was imposed and many editors, journalists and writers were arrested. As a result of the protests and their aftermath, an estimated 3,000 people were killed, 3,000 imprisoned, and 10,000 fled the country, some to ethnic minority controlled areas along the borderlands and others into exile (Guyon 1992). Journalists, cartoonists, writers and other artists were forced to decide whether to stay and give up their independence and their (short-lived) ability to publish freely or to continue their work in exile. The month following the coup, Burma’s favourite comedian and satirist, Zargana, was arrested for participating in the pro-democracy 01 ch1-MyanmarMediaIT-5P.indd 21 8/4/19 10:29 am