Myanmar’s military government was hated for many reasons. Key among them was its use of archaic legislation to punish pro-democracy and human rights activists. When Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratic administration took over earlier this year, many analysts predicted it would immediately amend and scrap those laws. It is currently in the process of doing that.
But one of the most loathed bits of legislation, requiring Myanmar residents to report overnight guests to the authorities may stay put, after a heated parliamentary debate yesterday. The law, which led to “midnight inspections” of suspected households, was notoriously used against Suu Kyi after an American stayed in her compound.
The most recent version of the bill – which is yet to be signed into law – specifies that those who fail to report guests “on purpose” can still face punishment, the Myanmar Times reports.
An amendment to The Ward or Village Tract Administration Law that would remove the provision to report guests entirely was initially approved by the upper house of parliament. But a revised bill put before the lower house on Wednesday restored the provision, adding that only those who hid guests “on purpose” would be prosecuted. Local administrators would need to cooperate with the relevant MP if the law were to be enforced.
“If overnight guest registration is no longer required, ward administrators won’t know how many strangers are coming in or out,” Nay Soe, a village tract secretary, told the Times.
Hmm. But in a democratic society, where movement of people should be free, do they really need to?
