The Myanmar junta’s Ministry of information said Sunday it will take legal action against two independent television news channels, Mizzima TV and Democratic Voice of Burma TV (DVB TV), for failing to pay a combined 100 million kyats (about US$47,800 at the official rate) in what it claims are overdue transmission fees.
The two broadcasters are accused of failing to pay a total of around 100 million kyats for using channels of state-owned Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) to broadcast their programs before the military coup in February 2021.
In 2018, Mizzima Media Group and DVB were among a number of private companies that signed an agreement with MRTV to provide content for digital free-to-air TV channels using technology known as a multi-playout system.
Mizzima and DVB are among at least 13 independent news outlets—including The Irrawaddy—that have been outlawed by the regime since the coup for reporting deemed to be critical of the junta.
U Soe Myint, the founder and CEO of Mizzima, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the channel owed around 81.2 million kyats to MRTV before February 2021. But he said the contract is no longer valid as the junta shut down the TV channel on the day of coup without any notice, breaching the agreement between the two parties.
“It violates the contract as it states 15 days’ prior notice is required. Shutting down our channel on the first day of the coup without notification was illegal,” he explained.
He added that the regime froze the bank accounts of Mizzima Media Group and some other accounts related to the organization after it was banned as an illegal media outlet.
U Than Win Htut, the director of DVB’s News and Current Affairs department, told The Irrawaddy that his agency had paid MRTV through December 2020, and that it was the regime that breached the agreement by shutting down the channel.
“We signed the contract with the legitimate government. We will review the agreements only when the legitimate administration is in power. The regime has nothing to do with it,” he said.
Currently, both Mizzima and DVB are operating in exile.
Since the coup, the regime has targeted journalists and media organizations with arrests and lawsuits, and raids on offices.
The offices of independent media organizations including Mizzima, The Irrawaddy, Myanmar Now and Kamayut have been raided by regime forces.
