Yangon Region government’s decision to sue three journalists including the Chief Editor of the Weekly Eleven News Journal amounts to turning a blind eye to the provisions of the Media Law and the Union government should review the case and act it fairly, according to a statement by Myanmar Journalist Union on October 12.
The region government has sued three journalists of the Weekly Eleven Journal for “erroneous facts” in the article that appeared, written by journalist Phyo Wai, in the Weekly Eleven Journal, under Section 505 (b) of the Penal Code.
The statement continued to say that it is found that the authority has filed a case against the journalists who criticized the government, under other sections of the law, turning a blind eye to the provisions of the Myanmar Media Law. The Media Law clearly says that any person can first lodge a complaint to the Media Council of any problems relating to the media industry. If both sides were not able to come to terms in negotiations mediated by the Media Council, journalists should be sued in accordance with the Media Law only. Myanmar Journalist Union especially remonstrates against the Yangon region government’s charge against journalists with severe sections of the penal code.
During the democratic reform period, the incumbent government has seriously eroded democratic norms and values, the country’s dignity and freedom of expression, turning a deaf ear to the citizen rights enshrined in the Constitution, it adds.
Amnesty International (AI), Foreign Correspondents Club of Myanmar (FCCM) and Protection Committee for Myanmar Journalists and Myanmar Journalists Association (MJA), other locals and foreign organizations also issued statements for the release of three journalists.
According to a statement by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the ongoing use of repressive and outdated legislation to suppress and control the media is having a detrimental impact on Myanmar’s democracy and freedom of the press.
On October 11, Myanmar Press Council (MPC) issued a statement, saying it strongly denounced Yangon regional government case against the three senior journalists of the Weekly Eleven News Journal and Yangon regional government needed to lodge a complaint to the press council first.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also called for the immediate and unconditional release of three Eleven Media journalists who were arrested by the Yangon police over a report published on 8 October about the Yangon regional budget.
“We call for the immediate release of these three Eleven Media journalists,” said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF’s Asia-Pacific desk. “Imprisoning journalists in connection with their work is unacceptable in a country that claims to be transitioning to democracy. This kind of meddling takes Myanmar one step further away from the rule of law and respect for press freedom.”
As a result of the growing concern, RSF last week issued an “incident report” about the threat to Myanmar’s position in the World Press Freedom Index, in which it is currently ranked 137th out of 180 countries.
In the 2018 Index, published in April, Myanmar was ranked 137th out of 180 countries, six places lower than in 2017. There is now every chance that it will fall even further in next year’s Index.
