ASEAN Regional Coalition to #StopDigitalDictatorship
5.2 Challenges and Cases
Struggles, Legislation, and Repression in Myanmar (2020-2023)
LEGEND:
: Alleged offense + (articles/provisions invoked against the individual)
- “Unknown”: Either information is not available or no articles/
provisions have been cited by the judiciary
January
Members of the Peacock Generation
poetry troupe
Facebook Video (Defamation)
6 months in prison
⚠
��
April
March
�� Natural Disaster Management Law (2020)
20
20
�� Bhon Myint Moe
⚠ Facebook Post (Fake News)
�� Arrested (Status Unknown)
Han Thar Nyein and Nathan Maung (Journalists)
(Defamation)
News (Defamation)
2 years in prison
20
21
⚠
��
March
Myanmar Now, Khit Thit media, Democratic
Voice of Burma, Mizzima, and 7 Day
Publishing licences revoked
��
February
Reporter Kaung Myat Hlaing (Democratic
Voice of Burma)
Livestreaming a police raid (Unknown)
Arrested, and killed
⚠
and Treatment of COVID-19 (Task Force)
March
February
��
�� Central Committee on Prevention, Control
�� Aung Ko Ko (Journalist)
⚠ Facebook Post (Fake News)
�� Arrested (Status Unknown)
February
⚠
March
May
Coup d'état
Reporter Kay Zon Nway (Myanmar Now)
Livestreaming a protest (Sedition)
Arrested (Status Unknown)
: Legal and extralegal consequences
- “Status Unknown”: Current status of the individual is unknown
(detained, convicted, deceased, etc).
��
January
Camera operator Hmu Yadanar Khet Moh
Moh Tun (Myanmar Pressphoto Agency)
News (Sedition & False News)
13 years in prison with hard labour
��
⚠
20
22
June
Ayeyarwaddy Times and Development
Media Group
Publishing licences revoked
��
June
�� 💸
October
Sithu Aung Myint (Frontier Myanmar
& Voice of America)
Social media Post (Sedition)
3 years in prison with hard labour
⚠
��
August
20
23
Thaung Win
(The Irrawaddy)
News (Sedition)
3 years in prison and 100,000 kyats
⚠
Didier Nusbaumer & Cast (Swiss Filmaker)
Film (Blasphemy)
Arrested (Unknown)
⚠
��
September
Sai Zaw Thaike (Photojournalist)
News (Unknown)
20 years in prison
⚠
��
Fig.5.2A: Summary timeline for Myanmar, 2020-2023.
186
Dawn of Digital Dictatorship: Weaponizing the Law Against Online Speech in Southeast Asia