Mizzima News

New Delhi – The Yangon [Rangoon] City Development Committee (YCDC) has begun removing advertisement Billboards that contains scantily clad models since Friday, sources at the YCDC and in the advertisement industry said.

Sources at the YCDC said authorities has begun removing 'Provocative' billboards mainly pictures that reveal much of ladies body from Rangoon region, as they are thought to be not in sync with Burmese culture.

"Nivea billboards and sign boards of a few lottery shops including the famous Moe Yan Shwe Lamin are order to removed as they contain provocative pictures of women," a source at the YCDC said.

The YCDC was given ordered by the Rangoon Mayor, Brig. General Aung Thein Linn, to remove the provocative billboards, the source added.

But it was not clear, why the Rangoon Mayor made such and order, as every advertising billboards has gone through a process of check and scrutiny by the YCDC before they could be allow putting up.

According to a marketing agency in Rangoon, all outdoor advertisement including billboards, light boxes and shop kits has to go through the YCDC, who then scrutinize the contents as well as pictures, and reject or give permission to the companies to put their advertisements up.

A manager of a market company in Rangoon, who wish not to be named for fear of reprisal, said that the emergence of indecent and vulgar billboards might be due to the negligence of the advertisement scrutiny department in the YCDC.

"I think the YCDC might want to inspect the billboards whether they are in accordance with the departmental rules and procedure or not as billboards advertising are increasing. But for a few companies that has a good relationship with officials at the YCDC frequently do not wait for permission," he said.

Due to this, the company official said, the YCDC has announced that it will no longer accept applications for new billboards.

The source at the YCDC said, the Rangoon Mayor's order came after seeing the picture of a Nivea advertising billboard that shows a lady with mini-skirt revealing much of her back.

A manager of a market company in Rangoon, who wish not to be named for fear of reprisal, said the YCDC has called a meeting of all marketing companies on Tuesday but said the invitation does not include any hints to what is to be informed.