significantly reduced in all levels of the Myanmar Government. Speaking out publicly about tackling corruption is an important contribution businesses can make towards this. 4.9 Lack of Transparency Interactions between the Government and the people of Myanmar have been marked by a lack of transparency on the part of the authorities, including about business operations. Recently the Government has begun to take limited steps to improve transparency through Government-controlled media and the President’s and Ministry websites. 604 For example the Ministry of Labour, Employment, and Social Security publishes the text of recent laws and provides information about benefits. 605 However, there is currently no freedom of information (FoI) law in Myanmar. Civil society is advocating for FoI legislation, and the Open Myanmar Initiative (OMI), a consortium of CSOs, is conducting research and convening discussions on such a law. 606 Local government generally does not provide relevant information to communities about business operations in their areas, as revealed by SWIA field assessments in the ICT, tourism, and oil and gas sectors. (See Chapter 4.1 on Freedom of Expression). Accountability: Judicial and Non-Judicial Mechanisms The previous Government was characterised by a lack of accountability for human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law. Those who dared complain about the authorities or companies were at risk of reprisals, including arrest, torture, and imprisonment. Since the reform process began in 2011, there has been a marked increase in calls by communities to provide redress for abuses, particularly around “land grabs” and labour rights. The Government’s response has been at times contradictory, which may be partially explained by the different levels of Government involved in responses, at the Union and local levels. The President has repeatedly exhorted all levels of Government to be more accountable, but at the local level, and indeed in some Union Ministries, such accountability is still absent. The lack of clarity may also be due to tensions between reformers in the Myanmar Government and its more conservative elements. Both the EITI and the Open Government Partnership include independent, third party checks on whether the Government is meeting its obligations to promote more open civil society that can hold the Government to account. This external, third party review can provide an important avenue for civil society to raise concerns. Arrests of peaceful protestors increased during 2014, and in March 2015 police beat and arrested student demonstrators in Letpadan, Bago Region. The Myanmar National Human Rights Commission has called for prosecution of the security forces involved. 607 It is not known whether the government – which is currently prosecuting the beaten students – will follow up. 604 See for example: Republic of the Union of Myanmar President’s Office and Myanmar Ministry of Home Affairs. 605 See: Myanmar Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security. 606 Eleven Media, “Rights group pushing for freedom of information law” (last accessed August 2015). 607 ‘Rights Commission urges action against the police’ Myanmar Times, 14 September 2015 CHAPTER 4.9: STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT & GRIEVANCE MECHANISMS 4 241