A Chance to Fix in Time: Analysis of Freedom of Expression in Four Years Under the Current Government
17(1) and (2) of Unlawful Associations Act and can face a maximum of five years and a
minimum of three years or a fine or both under Section 17(2).
4.4
Journalist Charged for Live-streaming A Protest
A major in Patheingyi township police force arrested Ko Nanda, a journalist working for
Channel Mandalay, while he was livestreaming a protest demanding to end Alpha’s cement
factory project being built in Aung Thabyay village, Patheingyi township, Mandalay Region
on May 15, 2019. Ko Nanda was sued under Section 147 of the Penal Code (punishment for
rioting), Section 333 of the Penal Code (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public
servant from his duty), Section 332 of the Penal Code (voluntarily causing hurt to deter
public servant from his duty), Section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant
form discharge of his duty) and Section114 of the Penal Code (abettor present when offence
is committed) by Patheingyi township police officer Myo Nyut Than at Patheingyi township
court.
4.5
Two Reuters Journalists Charged Under Official Secrets Act
for Exposing Inn Din Massacre
Two Reuters journalists, Ko Wa Lone and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo were arrested and charged under
Section 3 of Burma Official Secrets Act on December 12, 2017, for uncovering a massacre
committed by the Tatmadaw in Inn Din village in Rakhine State. Ko Wa Lone who was
investigating and exposing the massacre of 10 Inn Din villagers in September, attempted to
contact some police officers who had been assigned at Rakhine State, in order to strengthen
the information in November and early December. Then, he got in contact with a police
officer working at Htauk Kyant township police force who had been assigned to Rakhine
State. That police officer made an appointment with him at a restaurant. Ko Wa Lone went
to the place together with his colleague Ko Kyaw Soe Oo where they met some police officers
including the one who gave them some documents although they did not ask. When they
left the restaurant the waiting police officers arrested them, alleging they kept the
information related to Rakhine issues and national security. Then the pair was charged
under Section 3 of Burma Official Secrets Act by which they can face a maximum of 14 years
imprisonment. The police lieutenant colonel Moe Yan Naing to whom they interviewed was
also fired by Myanmar Police Force Maintenance and Discipline Law and sentenced to one
year in prison.
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Chapter (4): Media Freedom