Burma’s notorious online defamation law remains the tool of choice for powerful people in the country who seek to punish those who are trying to hold them accountable, and the amendment of the law in August has had “no discernible impact” on this, says a new report by the rights groups Free Expression Myanmar.
Burmese cartoonists weren’t always so worried about the potential repercussions of what they draw, but a spike in online defamation cases under the current government of Aung San Suu Kyi has them on edge.
“Now, artists have started moving on,” said Min Lwin, who opened Gallery 65 in Rangoon in 2010. “They are looking more into culturally subversive matters.”
Burmese official defends a recent government decision to reintroduce the old censorship system for direct-to-video films.
Contributor Lead Story Media News
The jailing of Zaw Pe, a journalist for the DVB, and the imprisonment of several journalists from Unity journal is a typical example of government doubletalk on press freedom and political reforms. This is the real nature of the still military controlled “civilian” government. It fears transparency.
A draft of Burma’s highly-anticipated broadcasting law, which will pave the way for private enterprises including DVB to broadcast legally in the country for the first time, contains several troubling provisions that could restrict press freedom, media analysts have warned.
Free speech advocates have slammed Burma’s controversial publishing bill, which was passed by the lower house of parliament last week, amid concerns that it will reintroduce censorship
The Burmese government has admitted that a new “supervisory committee” has been formed, which will carry out many of the same functions of the former censorship board
A new draft law has been slammed for retaining a series of restrictive provisions, including a ban on printing material that “violates” the country’s military-backed constitution, and imposing prison sentences of up to six months
The Burmese government announced on Monday that it has abolished pre-censorship of its media, but local papers say they have been issued a strict set of guidelines that forbid them from criticising the state
Dozens of journalists marched in Burma’s main city Saturday to protest the suspension of two journals amid fears officials are rowing back on pledges to ease strict junta-era censorship laws
Long a blot on world press freedom indexes, Burma could soon do away with the draconian censor board and end press restrictions
Restrictions on media coverage of ‘cultural and religious’ topics to remain, but government advisor hails end to draconian laws
Head of draconian censor board says a democracy cannot fully function without press freedom and suggests laws will be relaxed
Editors anxious about amendment to media laws that will place the onus of censorship on them rather than the censor board
Journalists inside Burma call for the relaxation of Burma’s draconian censor laws to mark world press freedom day
Burma generals giving no indication that notorious restrictions on media will be relaxed prior to controversial elections in two months
New unit set up within Burma’s censor board will target loopholes in press laws as the government looks to tighten media control in the run-up to elections
June 30, 2009 (DVB), Media watchdogs have condemned the sentencing of a Burmese journalist reporting on the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi, and said that coverage of the trial[…]
Aug 01, 2007 (DVB)
May 25, 2007 (DVB)
May 01, 2007 (DVB)
A Yangon court will proceed with prosecuting two Reuters journalists accused of violating Burma’s Official Secrets Act, a ruling that will heighten concerns of press freedom advocates who see the case as a seminal indicator of progress in a country long-known for censorship and antagonism toward the Fourth Estate.
Referring specifically to the Arakan crisis, Suu Kyi said, “Read the newspapers and listen to the news on MRTV released by the government.”
Three journalists and three other defendants facing charges under Burma’s Unlawful Associations Act were denied bail Friday at their second hearing in Hsipaw Township, Shan State, where the high-profile case continued and the defendants’ detention stretched into its sixth week.
The trial of three journalists and three other men accused of “unlawful association” with an ethnic armed group began in earnest on Friday, with a court in Hsipaw Township, Shan State, taking testimony from the case’s plaintiff, an army major.
Our podcast looks at the situation of press freedom in Burma since the dark years of censorship, at the height of democracy uprisings in 1988 and 2007, and up until the current situation.
A draft bill to amend the controversial article 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law has been submitted to the Upper House.
Burma is considering amendments to a law that human rights monitors say violates free speech and has been used to jail journalists and activists, leader Aung San Suu Kyi said on Thursday.
