Myanmar on Monday lifted pre-publication censorship on news of political and religious content, a new step on the path of its reform strategy, which is being implemented since President Thein Sein took office in March 2011. "We will withdraw the pre-scrutinizing process of publications of politics and religious issues including news journals," media reports quoted Tint Swe, chief of the press scrutiny and registration board as saying. The government had planned to set up a press council to provide ethics guidelines and self-monitoring to the local press.