This past Sunday, hundreds of citizens gathered in Mahabandoola Park as part of a campaign requesting the government to overturn Section 66(D) of the Telecommunications Law. Also present were some activists who had been charged and served time under that very clause, including the ‘penis poet’ Maung Saungkha.
Throughout the event, several activists, including Maung Saungkha and Zayar Hlaing from the Myanmar Journalism Network, gave speeches explaining the dangers of the law and the different methods by which it can be, and more importantly has been, exploited.
According to Maung Saungkha, a committee that has been put together to lead the campaign plans on submitting a proposal demonstrating the urgency of their appeal to the government by the end of the month; it will include testimonies of former inmates that have been prosecuted under 66(D), as well as expert research on the clause.
There have been 48 cases filed under 66(D) to date. While it has mainly been used by the government to punish journalists and activists who criticize them and the Tatmadaw, it remains an ever-constant source of fear and power for citizens. Most recently, an actress sued a beauty queen with 66(D) for alleged insulting her on a celebrity gossip page.
A defendant convicted under 66(D) can be handed a fine and a prison sentence of up to three years. When Eleven Media’s CEO and editor-in-chief were charged under the clause, several press organizations released a joint statement describing it as “a tool to limit people’s freedom of expression, which is the lifeblood of democracy”.
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