Media bill gets freedom of expression clause

Media bill gets freedom of expression clause

By Soe Than Lynn and Sandar Lwin   |   Monday, 08 July 2013

The Pyithu Hluttaw last week approved the Ministry of Information's Printing and Publishing Enterprise Bill but made 24 amendments, including the addition of a clause that would protect "people's free expression".

The bill, submitted earlier this year, was approved on July 4 and will now go to the Amyotha Hluttaw, or upper house, for consideration. However, the parliament is also expected to consider a rival print media bill drafted by the Interim Press Council during the seventh session, and it is unclear how the two print media bills will be reconciled into a single piece of legislation.

During the debate on July 4, 10 amendments were proposed by the Pyithu Hluttaw Bill Committee and five by the Pyithu Hluttaw Sports, Culture and Public Relations Committee, while representatives U Aye Myint of Insein, U Thein Nyunt of Thingangyun, U Kyaw Naing Htay on Indaw and U Nyan Win of Hlaing Tharyar also submitted changes.

U Nyan Win called for freedom of expression and publication to be enshrined in the law, a proposal that was approved by lower house lawmakers.

"I'd like to add the words, 'The action shall be without prejudice to the people's free expression and publication rights,' in section 24 of chapter eight because I don't want people's free expression and publication rights affected due to the prohibitions of this law," he said.

U Kyaw Naing Htay and U Thein Nyunt proposed similar changes to section 24 but on the recommendation of the bill committee retracted their proposals in favour of U Nyan Win's amendment.

Three of the committee's amendments removed jail terms for those who could not pay fines handed down under sections 20, 21 and 22 of chapter five.

U Khine Maung Yi, the Pyithu Hluttaw representative for Ahlone and secretary of the Pyithu Hluttaw Sports, Culture and Public Relations Committee, said that both the ministry's draft Public Service Media Law and the print media law written by the press council are in the hands of the committee. "We expect to submit them to the hluttaw this session," he said.

However, a Ministry of Information official said the version with the committee is likely to be amended before it is considered by MPs.

Deputy director general Daw Thidar Tin said the ministry has already amended about 25 percent of the press council's draft that was submitted to the Pyithu Hluttaw Sports, Culture and Public Relations Committee and forwarded it to the Attorney General's Office.

"We agreed with about 50 points in the press council's draft and made some amendments to 17 points and sent it to the Attorney General's Office, which is a necessary step before it is submitted to parliament," she said on July 4, adding that it could be "several weeks" before it is ready to be put to parliament.

The ministry made the changes about one week after the press council sent its original draft to the committee.

"We sent our original draft ... on June 26. We have already said that we will follow the parliament's decision," council secretary U Kyaw Min Swe said.

"So far no parliamentarian has said they will submit the draft to the parliament on our behalf. What is most important is to convey the ideas included in our draft to the parliamentarians," U Kyaw Min Swe said.

Translated by Thiri Min Htun

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/07/09/media-bill-gets-freedom-of-expression-clause/