• Burmese
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
27 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home News Burma

Stakeholders Push for Greater Access to Information in Burma

Tin Htet Paing by Tin Htet Paing
November 16, 2016
in Burma
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0 0
A A
Discussion on right to information at Phandeeyar. / Tin Htet Paing / The Irrawaddy

Discussion on right to information at Phandeeyar. / Tin Htet Paing / The Irrawaddy

6.3k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

RANGOON — Burmese media stakeholders and legal experts on Tuesday stressed the need for enacting a right to information law in Burma, highlighting the failure of government organizations to provide primary information and a lack of public awareness of this right.

Former Thomson Reuters correspondent Ma Thin Lei Win facilitated the discussion, which was hosted by Phandeeyar, a technological hub that supports digital innovation. Ma Thin Lei Win said that implementing such a law would stymie corruption and graft.

“This law is very important for democratic countries as it reflects the measure of transparency that governments have and makes authorities accountable,” she said. Burma has not yet enacted a law of this sort, even though a draft of one was written during the administration of former president U Thein Sein. Stakeholders, however, criticized the draft as “overly broad and [including] unclear exemptions.”

RelatedPosts

What the ‘Snake Charmer’ Analogy Gets Wrong About Myanmar

What the ‘Snake Charmer’ Analogy Gets Wrong About Myanmar

July 15, 2025
343
Musk to Exit US Government Role After Rare Break With Trump

Musk to Exit US Government Role After Rare Break With Trump

May 29, 2025
308
Nowhere Are the Threats Facing Journalism More Real Than in Myanmar

Nowhere Are the Threats Facing Journalism More Real Than in Myanmar

May 3, 2025
757

Ko Swe Win, chief correspondent of Myanmar Now, echoed Ma Thin Lei Win regarding the need for such a law, which would make primary data available for journalists to carry out their responsibilities of verification and cross-examination of information given by sources.

He also tackled the challenges facing journalists in trying to collect official documents, given the history of media blackout characteristic of Burma’s previous governments.

“We have difficulty verifying information and doing a check-and-balance on government activities because there is lack of primary information,” he said.

He explained that the current situation in Burma is one in which information pertaining to the government mainly comes from “official” press releases or “statements” made by government officials at conferences.

“The assumption [of government officials] is that they think they’re doing enough by providing what they want to disclose when they want to disclose it,” he said.

“Official [information] is far from the truth.”

While a news media law was enacted in Burma in March 2014, Article 19—a British advocacy group promoting freedom of expression and information—said that the law “unjustifiably” limits freedom of expression, though they admitted that it was “a positive attempt to begin dismantling the extensive apparatus of censorship in the country.”

Ma Yin Yadanar Thein, Burma program manager of Article 19, highlighted the general lack of public awareness of what “information” fundamentally means, saying that the public would not be able to hold the government accountable without having information on budget allocations and policies.

She also stressed concern over the fact that there was no inclusion of an “independent” body that would decide which information should be public, and the lack of a definition on information concerning the “public interest.”

“The meaning of information is very wide,” she said. “When they [government officials] want to restrict information, they can do so without considering what kind of information is beneficial to the public interest.”

“When we say information, it must also include the definition of ‘public interest’ in the law.”

Ko Swe Win highlighted that the law should also include punishment for those who fail to provide information or manipulate information or give misinformation.

“Because there is no primary information available to journalists, we have to spend six months on an investigation that could have taken three months if we could just get the necessary information,” he said.

Having such a law would save journalists time, he explained, though he added that this barrier to information should not be used as an excuse by journalists for not conducting their reports responsibly.

Ei Myat Noe Khin, a social impact associate at Phandeeyar, talked about the importance of digital platforms for public access to information, saying that the public will only be able to make better decisions if it has access to information that would guide choices.

Celebrating the 250th anniversary of the adoption of legal protections that guarantee freedom of information and press in Sweden, the Swedish Ambassador to Thailand, Laos, and Burma shared Swedish practices and principles relating to public access to official documents.

He also said that although Sweden’s original legislation was enacted in 1766, it is still applicable to the current context of the country, and that social media platforms such as Facebook make it easier for government institutions to make information public.

Despite the  push for greater access to the information, journalists in Burma today are threatened with telecommunication laws used by the government to justify the persecution of journalists who speak unfavorably of government officials.

Currently, the Rangoon regional government filed a lawsuit against two journalists from Eleven Media Group for a Facebook post under Article 66 (d), alleging that a chief minister was involvement in corruption. The journalists are now detained at Insein Prison.

The media watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists called on the Burmese government to immediately free both journalists as well as drop all defamation charges against them on Monday.

“It’s outrageous that journalists should be imprisoned without trial, under a democratically elected government that has promised more press freedom,” said Steven Butler, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator in the statement.

Your Thoughts …
Tags: GovernmentJournalismMedia
Tin Htet Paing

Tin Htet Paing

...

Similar Picks:

Restoring Ancient City as Regime Crumbles; Building a Mutiny; and More
Junta Watch

Restoring Ancient City as Regime Crumbles; Building a Mutiny; and More

by The Irrawaddy
August 31, 2024
9.5k

conscription shock for older men, more journos punished with jail, and dictator’s reassurance rings hollow as resistance advances.

Read moreDetails
Elon Musk Calls for Closure of Radio Free Europe, Voice of America
World

Elon Musk Calls for Closure of Radio Free Europe, Voice of America

by Naung Naung
February 10, 2025
7.1k

The billionaire’s call to shut down the US-funded media organizations, which reach hundreds of millions of people globally, follows his...

Read moreDetails
Illustration entitled ‘Rebellious Reporters’ by Harn Lay for The Irrawaddy.
Specials

Our Fight For Press Freedom

by The Irrawaddy
May 3, 2024
103.4k

To mark World Press Freedom Day, The Irrawaddy presents a compendium of its articles on press freedom and the repression...

Read moreDetails
Burma

Myanmar Junta Rages Against E. Timor President After Defection Call

by The Irrawaddy
December 14, 2023
5.2k

The regime’s newspapers were filled with tirades against José Ramos-Horta after he urged junta troops to defect, and its backers...

Read moreDetails
Only Assurances of Self-Determination Can Prevent Myanmar From Shattering
Guest Column

Only Assurances of Self-Determination Can Prevent Myanmar From Shattering

by June N.S
January 12, 2024
4.7k

Ethnic areas will never return to external control; there is still time to prevent balkanization, but a political agreement involving...

Read moreDetails
Junta Watch: Football Field Dreams Amid Battlefield Disasters; Regime Propaganda’s Parallel Reality; and More
Junta Watch

Junta Watch: Football Field Dreams Amid Battlefield Disasters; Regime Propaganda’s Parallel Reality; and More

by The Irrawaddy
January 20, 2024
4.6k

Also this week, China appeased after Taiwan election, forced recruitment as resistance threatens to decouple main cities, power plea for...

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
China

China, and Donald Trump’s Possible Asian Policy

Two members of the Shan State Army-North are pictured on the front line near Wan Hai, the organization’s headquarters. / Lawi Weng / The Irrawaddy

Shan Armed Group Says Four Soldiers Detained by Authorities

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

Trump’s Tariffs to Hit Myanmar’s Garment Manufacturers Hard

Trump’s Tariffs to Hit Myanmar’s Garment Manufacturers Hard

7 days ago
1.3k
‘Not a Witch Hunt’: Upholding Survivor-Centered Justice in Myanmar

‘Not a Witch Hunt’: Upholding Survivor-Centered Justice in Myanmar

5 days ago
645

Most Read

  • Myanmar Junta Launches Space Agency With Russian Help

    Myanmar Junta Launches Space Agency With Russian Help

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta’s ‘Living Fence’ on Thai Border Falls to Karen Resistance

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Indian Army Accused of Deadly Strike on Separatists in Myanmar

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta Moves into Nawnghkio Outskirts

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • TNLA Invites Investment in Ruby and Mineral Towns Amid Myanmar Junta Onslaught

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.