Myanmar media bill held off after journalists protest

Photo: AFP

Myanmar's media circle expressed loudly their sentiments when the government said that plans for the draft bill on media will not push thru, said news report from AP.

The bill drafted by the Ministry of Information which has imposed many limitations without consulting representatives from publishing companies or journalists could have become law. However various complaints from journalists were brought out and this could possibly affect the approval and passing of the legislation this week.

The new bill will not take effect until early June until such time that the media are asked to take part in the consultation process by the government.

According to the Ministry of Information, new set of rules and regulations were added because of poisonous publications. This has yet to be discussed with the journalists this Saturday.

Zaw Thet Htwe, the editor of a health journal and a former political prisoner said that the Minister had realized that people from the media circle are absolutely against the draft bill. He further added that they don't exactly know what will be the final conclusion of the meeting that will be held on Saturday but they are just glad to know that the Minister is willing to pay attention on their point of view.

The Parliament will suspend business on Friday and to gather again formally in the Parliament by June, AP news reported.

Discussion about the legislation was not permitted by the Parliament's speaker of the lower house due to the many negative comments and remarks raised by various media organizations to officials of the parliament as revealed by Kyaw Min Swe, the editor-in-chief of the private weekly The Voice.

Original source: http://www.betweenonline.com/2013/03/18/myanmar-media-bill-held-off-after-journalists-protest/