FEM welcomes the military’s withdrawal today of criminal complaints against eight journalists, journalist sources and human rights defenders. The criminal provisions in the Penal Code, Telecommunications Law, and Unlawful Association Law, used to charge the eight people are not acceptable under international standards on the
As lawyers and legal advocates working on cases relating to the media, internet and freedom of expression in Myanmar, Free Expression Myanmar (FEM), Myanmar Media Legal Network (MMLN), Hygienic Legal Clinic call on Members of Parliament and the Parliamentary Bill Committees to use the opportunity
Joint statement by 61 Myanmar and international human rights organizationsConcerned by reports that the Myanmar authorities will retain the criminal defamation provision of Section 66(d) during a review of the Telecommunications Law, 61 national and international human rights organizations are urging the Myanmar authorities, and
A joint statement by the Coalition for Telecommunications Law Reform consisting of 22 Myanmar human rights organisations calling for the repeal of Article 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law. 66(d) defines defamation online as a crime and is used to arrest and imprison members of the
A UN letter sent in October 2015 to the Myanmar government protesting illegitimate criminal charges brought against two Facebook users, has finally been published. The letter (MMR9/2015) raised serious concerns about the cases of these Facebook users: Chaw Sandi Tun Patrick Khum Jaa Lee The
Defamation should contain four elements. In order to be defamatory, a statement must:be false;be of a factual nature;cause damage; andthis damage must be to the reputation of the person concerned, which in turn means that the statement in question must have been read, heard.Defences include:TruthPublic
The Telecommunications Law was created to regulate previously blocked networks and services but keeps many undemocratic rules with a non-independent government regulator, allowing communications to be closely monitored and users to be criminalised for what they say online. The Telecommunications Law includes illegitimate criminal punishments