The three journalists – two editors in charge and a senior editor – were arrested on Tuesday after the director of Yangon Region filed a complaint with police over alleged violation of Section 505(b) of the Penal Code.
The complaint arose from a news article that referred to alleged controversial business ventures by the region. The article, written by senior reporter Phyo Wai Win and published on Monday in the Weekly Eleven news journal, criticised the Yangon government’s use of taxpayer funds, especially for a project to provide school bus services.
Section 505(b) sets out penalties for anyone who causes public unrest or causes any person to commit an offence against the state or against public tranquillity.
Kyaw Swar Min, secretary of the Myanmar Press Council, which adjudicates problems related to the media, said the Yangon government should inform the council of any complaints about journalists or their stories.
“They have to inform the council, and they should take action under the Media Act if there is a problem with an article,” he said.
He added that the council only learned about the problem after the arrests.
“The council was formed with the permission of the Myanmar government,” he said.
Yangon police went to the offices of Eleven Media Group on Sunday night to arrest the journalists but the three had already gone home, said Ko Oo, executive editor of the media group.
“They turned themselves in to Tamwe police the next day after they found out they were being sought by police,” he said.
In November 2016, the publication’s executive editor U Than Htut Aung was arrested for an alleged violation of Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law after the publication of a report that a senior official’s watch was a gift from a prominent businessman.
The Foreign Correspondents Club of Myanmar (FCCM) said on Wednesday that it was deeply shocked and disturbed by the arrest.
“The FCCM is gravely concerned that arresting and charging journalists for their professional activities is a blatant attempt to suppress freedom of expression, and the arrest has further damaged the country’s already poor reputation for media freedom,” it said in a statement.
“We call upon the government for the immediate release of journalists and urge that authorities refrain from further suppression of freedom of the press,” it added
Credit:MMTIME
Daily Myanmar Internet Media
Three journalists arrested over news report
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October 10, 2018
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