Burma News International, a network of ten Burmese news organisations, has urged Indian authorities to immediately re-open the main office of the Mizzima News Group in New Delhi, India, which was sealed off on Monday.

Aung Naing, development officer of BNI, said, "It is crucial for democratic country like India to have access to independent news sources like Mizzima".

BNI tells Christian Today that the office of the Mizzima News Group, one of the network members of BNI, was sealed off because it was a business operating in a residential area.

However, Soe Myint, Editor in Chief of Mizzima, has said there are suspicions that the raid was related to Mizzima's coverage on Burma. In particular, his role as translator for the 34 Arakan and Karen rebels currently on trial in Kolkata, India, for allegedly supplying weapons to Indian insurgents, is thought to have upset authorities.

Myint explains that the rebels claim to be freedom fighters opposing the Burmese junta's iron-fist regime.

The editor of Mizzima News Group, Sein Win, said, "Mizzima's editorial operations have now been severely hampered. It appealed for international support, even as it sought the understanding of its readers in anticipation of further interruptions in delivering its news products."

Mizzima, which was founded in August 1998, is an independent and non-profit news agency producing independent news and commentary on Burma. It has reported consistently about the human rights situation in Burma, including violations against the media and journalists by the Burmese military junta.

In addition to covering Burma, Mizzima also reports on Southeast Asian and South Asian politics that impact on the military-ruled country.