Reported by News Editors Team MWT + MYA

Deputy Chief Attorney-General U Tun Tun Oo told the fourth regular session of the First Pyithu Hluttaw that the print media bill drafted by the Ministry of Information had been sent back to the ministry by the Attorney-General’s Office after a thorough examination, and arrangements were being made to explain the bill to journalist organizations.

Pyithu Hluttaw Representative U Thein Nyunt raised a question at the fourth regular session of the Pyithu Hluttaw whether the print media bill which was said to be at the Attorney-General’s Office since the second session of the Pyithu Hluttaw was still at the Attorney-General’s Office or it had been sent back to the ministry.

Deputy Chief Attorney-General U Tun Tun Oo said, “The bill has been sent back to the ministry. As far as we know, the union ministry is making necessary arrangements to explain the bill to journalist organizations. The ministry has also asked for help from the Attorney-General’s Office when the bill is explained.”

Official news about the print media bill emerged after Union Minister for Information U Kyaw San told the second regular session of the First Pyithu Hluttaw on 6 September 2011 that the Ministry of Information had been drafting the bills concerning the media, and the bills would be submitted to the Hluttaw soon.

During the Hluttaw session, Pyithu Hluttaw Representative U Thein Nyunt submitted a motion calling for a law that protects the freedom of expression. However, the Hluttaw session just recorded the motion without any deliberation.

In his reply to the question raised by Pyithu Hluttaw Representative Dr. Myat Nyanna Soe at the second regular session of the First Pyithu Hluttaw on 29 September 2011, Union Minister for Information U Kyaw San said private individuals would be permitted to publish newspapers only after the print media bill had been amended and approved by the Hluttaw. He also reported the Hluttaw about the drafting of the bill.

Since then, criticisms about the bill emerged including the drafting of the bill without consulting journalists. Journalists were of the view that the bill drafted without consulting the journalists would put burden on them. Some were ready to reject the bill.
On 23 December 2011, Sports, Culture and Public Relations Development Committee met with writers, journalists, film and video stars, musicians and drama performers.

Focus of the meeting was the print media bill. At the meeting, Chairman Thura U Aye Myint of the committee highlighted the freedom of expression and the role of competent journalist for the emergence of a strong fourth estate.

Journalists from Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Myanmar exile media participated in the “Workshop on Media Development in Democratic Society” held at the Inya Lake Hotel from 30 to 31 January 2012.

The Union Ministry of Information, the UNESCO and the IMF jointly organized “Conference on Media Development in Myanmar” at the Chatrium Hotel in Yangon on 19 and 20 March 2012. Journalist from home and abroad participated in the conference. However, criticisms arose when it was announced that discussions at the conference would be included in second draft of the print media bill. One of the critics of the conference was late writer Ludu Sein Win.

Saya Ludu Sein Win said that the print media bill was just another restriction of the freedom of expression and true journalists would never help make the rope that would be used to hang the fellow journalists.

0n 25 April 2012, the Union Ministry for Information and the IMF jointly organized a workshop print media in Myanmar at the Chatrium Hotel.

On 21 June, Pyithu Hluttaw Sports, Culture and Public Relations Development Committee and the media persons met and discussed, where Thura U Aye Myint said that the draft bill sent from the Ministry of Information would be screen. He said that necessary addition and omission would be made accordingly. In case, if it was necessary to discuss more, then the committee would submitted the matter to the Speaker of Hluttaw to provide more time for further discussions.

At the meeting, the media persons suggested that the print media law should not be an instrument to suppress the media persons, and that more freedom of expression should be allowed, that the law should prevent the media persons, and that the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division should be dismantled.

U Zaw Thet Htwe, member of Myanmar Journalist Association Organizing Committee (MJAOC) for the formation of Myanmar Journalist Union, discussed at length at the second anniversary of People’s Age Journal in conjunction with press freedom seminar, “The Ministry of Information spelled out that the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division would be abolished in June 2012, however, it is still not dismantle. Over the last three months, some journals have encountered with law suits. When one studies the case on the law suit of The Voice Journal, the accusation was established on the wrong premises. The journal reported the news depicted from the information submitted at the parliament, but the Ministry of Mines filed a case against the journal at the court. Moreover, the Snap Short Journal was filed with section 505 (B and C) of the Penal Code for allegedly reporting news on the riots in Rakhine State. The law suit was very strong against a journal. The court accusation tarnished the government as the nation is on the path of democratization. Furthermore, the President himself paid emphasis on the Fourth Estate. In fact, the Fourth Estate is an institution that keeps check and balance between the government and judicial sector. Therefore, the media should have real independent without the influence of the government. That is why we are always asking for the press freedom. Now we are far from reaching that status. On the contrary, we are struggle in the vicious cycle of fights against the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division and the law courts.”

At the invitation of the DVB News Agency, a Myanmar delegation headed by the Deputy Minister for Information including the Director-General of Information and Public Relations Department visited countries in Europe from 8 to 23 June. Likewise, at the expense of the International Monetary Fund, a combined team comprising senior officials from the Ministry of Information, persons from Myanmar Journalist Association, Myanmar Journalist Network and Mizzima News Agency went on a media tour to Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India for eight days beginning 24 June 2012.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Than Htut Aung of the Eleven Media Group said, “The Print Media Law is taking too much time as it was already one year in the making. By citing this process, private newspapers and private radio and television could not be established so far. In the meanwhile, many journals have been permitted to publish without facilitating properly, resulting with untoward problems. The exile media that always criticizing the government are now getting more favor. The internal local media that always exercise restraint and moderation are now facing law suits. They are suffering more suppression and containment. This entire situation should be examined.”

He continued, “At this juncture, doubt and suspicion are brewing between the upcoming print media law and the media persons leading to conflict. Mistrust is mounting between the government and the media. When the media is in doubt and suspicion, the people will not believe the government. Among the international media, an independent and free press is an institution to be proud of. The majority of media usually deal in equal term only to the independent press. Free press means an independent entity without the influence of others. It does not wok in partnership either with the government, the NGOs, the individuals, or in affiliation with the administration. The independent media depends on the income only from the readers and commercials and report liberally to the people what they believe is right and true. The news media in Myanmar are rolling ahead in the form of free and independent media. However, instead of helping and assisting the decent and well-mannered media, the Ministry of Information is mainly favoring and supporting for the development of the government media, the joint-venture media working in collaboration with the government, and the exile media. In fact, the people and general public have faith only on the local media, especially the large news media groups. The media print law and the media direction driving by the Ministry of Information has been deviated and derailed from the desire of the President as well as the intended trail of the government. This predicament and messy situation has cropped up due to the wrong policy formulation by one or two high ranking officers in the Ministry of Information.”