Myanmar’s parliament may soon discuss a proposal to remove criminal penalties from the notorious Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law, which is frequently used to jail journalists and critics of Myanmar’s government and military for online expression.
However, some in the National League for Democracy leadership appear to want the amendment process slowed.
Plans to consider reforming the law were revealed by a Ministry of Information official to the Committee to Protect Journalists on June 8. Information ministry permanent secretary Myo Myint Maung said the legislation will be introduced by the Ministry of Transport and Communication.
At the same meeting, lower house Bill Committee chairperson Tun Tun Hein said he welcomed legislation to decriminalize the law.
The CPJ meeting was organized to support local journalists’ and activists’ calls for the immediate repeal of Section 66(d). Over 100 journalists gathered in Yangon on June 6 to demand the repeal.
Furthermore, the Assessment of Legal Affairs and Special Issues Commission, headed by former parliament speaker Thura U Shwe Mann, has already discussed amending the law.
The Attorney General’s office, too, has joined the chorus calling for change. The office recently suggested that defendants in defamation cases be granted bail, which is rarely granted to journalists.
Information ministry official Myo Myint Maung told CPJ that with criminal penalties removed from the law, it would likely fall into disuse.
However, despite the momentum behind the movement to amend the law, the timeline for such action remains unknown. NLD spokesperson Win Htein said on Friday that there is no urgent need to amend it.
“It is not an issue that will destroy the country,” he said, according to the Myanmar Times.
Furthermore, Sagaing Region MP and NLD member Ye Htut said he has repeatedly raised the issue of amending or abolishing the section in parliament, only to have the discussion blocked by members of his own party.
Win Htein said the reason the topic has been blocked is because it is already being discussed by the assessment committee.
According to PEN Myanmar, 61 defamation cases have been filed under Section 66(d) since the NLD took over the government. These include nine cases involving 14 journalists.
The law was used most recently to jail The Voice editor Kyaw Min Swe and columnist Ko Kyaw Zwa Naing, who mocked the military’s peace efforts. The suit was brought by a member of the Myanmar military.
