Yangon, Myanmar – Myanmar’s military junta has ordered a hike of over 150 fold to the annual satellite TV licence fee in an attempt to prevent the public from accessing “dissident” international news broadcasts. While no official statement from the government regarding the increase was issued to the state media, an unnamed official from the Myanmar Post and Telecom confirmed the hike. Citizens due to pay the annual 6,000 kyat (US$4.70) fee also found that it had been raised to 1 million kyat (US$780), almost three times the annual income of the average citizen. International media including Al Jazeera, Norway-based Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), BBC, Voice of America and Radio Free Asia have been blamed by the military government for broadcasting a “skyful of lies” which played a “major role” in intensifying the protests in August and September 2007 against the military rule. Clashes between the authorities and demonstrators resulted in over 30 deaths in the country. Apart from satellite TV, television news available in the country originates from the state-controlled MRTV. Private broadcasters in the country abstain from current affairs coverage and provide mainly soaps and music programming.