Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) issued a statement on February 14 saying that the attempt to restrict human rights by amending the Law Protecting the Privacy and Security of Citizens and the Ward or Village-tract Administration Law is tantamount to destroying democratic transition. 

The statement came in opposition to the new enactment of the laws after being amended by the State Administration Council on February 13.  

“The military council that took power of the State has cancelled the provisions of the Law Protecting the Privacy and Security of Citizens and supplemented new provisions that can harm the freedom and security of the people. Thus, its attempt is tantamount to committing crime against humanity by openly restricting the human rights and the rights of the Myanmar citizens,” the CRPH statement points out. 

These two laws were previously enacted and amended by the Second Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (Union Parliament) with the aim of protecting and the freedom and security of the people.  

The State Administration Council issued an order on February 13 that three articles of the Law Protecting the Privacy and Security of Citizens promulgated on March 8, 2007 shall be suspended under its rule.  

During its rule, the council will keep suspending sections 5, 7 and 8 of the Law Protecting the Privacy and Security of Citizens. Section 7 states that no one shall be detained for more than 24 hours without permission from a court unless the detention is in accordance with existing law.

What’s more, the amended version of the Ward or Village-tract Administration Law as announced by the council on February 13 also says that any visitor to a house must report to authorities, the provision that was cancelled in the time of the National League for Democracy government.  

For failure of reporting, the visitor will be fined not more than K10,000 or a prison sentence of not more than seven days, the amended law says. 

The council statement said these laws were amended and signed by State Administration Council Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing as per Article 419 of the State Constitution. 

However, CRPH pointed out that the council is not a legitimate government since it took over power violating Article 11 of the constitution.  

The council has no power to exercise Articles 419 and 420 of the constitution or enact any law.