Myanmar: Why a UNGA resolution is still needed

ALTSEAN-Burma, Amnesty International, Article 19, Civil Rights Defenders (CRD), Forum-Asia, and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) are concerned that the European Union (EU) may not introduce a new resolution on the situation of human rights in Myanmar at the upcoming 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) […]

Myanmar: Facebook Arrests for Insult are Illegitimate in a Democracy

Yangon: ARTICLE 19, the Gender Equality Network (GEN) and Myanmar ICT for Development Organization (MIDO) call for the immediate and unconditional release of Chaw Sandhi Tun, who has been arrested and detained for posting a satirical gender-related image on Facebook […]

Myanmar: Immediately and Unconditionally Release Imprisoned Media Workers

One year after five media workers from the Unity newspaper were given long jail sentences and five media workers from the Bi-Midday Sun newspaper were detained – later sentenced and jailed – solely for their peaceful journalistic activities, Amnesty International calls on the Myanmar authorities to immediately and unconditionally release them and all other prisoners of conscience in the country […]

Myanmar: Need for Permission Dropped from Assembly Law

The notorious provision in the Law on the Right to Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession required permission to protest and is infamous in Myanmar as “Section 18”. ARTICLE 19 has tracked 132 cases where the government has arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned people for failing to get prior permission to protest. Many of those people were protesting against Section 18 itself […]

Myanmar: Press Council Threatens Resignation as Lower House Fails to Amend Dire Press Bill

The Press Council has said that they will resign if the Printing and Publishing Enterprise Law bill, which ARTICLE 19 previously warned would restore prior censorship and full government control, is adopted.

The bill was passed by Myanmar’s lower house of parliament with only minimal changes. ARTICLE 19 urges the upper house and the president not to adopt the bill without further drastic changes […]

Myanmar: Public Service Media Needed but Proposed Bill Inadequate

Establishing a genuine public service media is desperately needed in Myanmar to provide an independent, impartial and balanced source of information, and to encourage pluralism. Unfortunately, the proposed bill on public service media would if adopted continue state control of the media and the disenfranchisement of ethnic minorities. ARTICLE 19 urges parliament to make significant changes before adopting it […]

Myanmar: National Human Rights Commission Recommends Ratifying Key Human Rights Treaties

ARTICLE 19 welcomes Myanmar’s National Human Rights Commission’s recommendation that the government ratify the two most significant international human rights treaties. The strong stance adopted by the Commission is noteworthy due to its closeness with the government […]

Myanmar: Ministry’s Draft Press Bill Would Restore Prior Censorship and Full Government Control

A draft press bill put before parliament by the Minister of Information and Communications should be withdrawn or rejected when it has its first reading in June as it would be a major step backwards for freedom of expression and freedom of the media, restoring prior censorship and full governmental control over the press […]

Myanmar: Press Bill Falls Far Short of International Law and Would Leave Press Open to Abuse

Despite promises of reform, a new press bill to be presented in parliament retains a vagueness that will leave the print media open to abuse from the government and other powerful actors.

The draft Press Law Bill (2013) says that the media should become “a fourth pillar” of democracy “watching and guiding the other three”. The media will not however become a fourth pillar under this draft because it undermines their role and overly restricts their work […]

The Decree on the Right to Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession

The Decree on the Right to Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession is one of the first laws governing civil and political rights to be adopted since the election of a quasi-civilian government in November 2010. ARTICLE 19’s analysis of the law finds the law to be inconsistent with the right to freedom of expression and the right to assembly.

In the analysis, ARTICLE 19 appreciates the Decree’s recognition of the state’s duty to protect assembly participants. However, the requirement for permission to hold an assembly, the grounds for denying permission, the lack of a court appeal and the absence of guarantees for media access to assemblies are problematic and must be urgently revised […]