Print media bill still being reviewed

Khin Maung Aye announced the development during a workshop on the bill and journalistic ethics in Yangon on Saturday.

“The press council has drafted the bill based on international laws, especially from Asian countries, that are most suited to Myanmar,” he said. “We don’t mean it is perfect. If we make a law, we must follow the desire of the people, seek approval of the government as well as of the Parliament,” he told local and foreign journalists attending the workshop.

Participants called for the bill to have a clear definition of responsibilities and ethics and said the provision that allowed the president to order the formation of the press council should be replaced with one saying that it should be formed by media professionals themselves.

Some participants said that offence and penalty clauses should not be included in the law, while others said their inclusion could free journalists from worrying about penalties imposed by other laws.

Some also called for the cancellation of a paragraph under Section 16 stating that non-confidential governmental documents can be made public if they do not affect national security and the public interest.

After seeking suggestions from those attending the workshop, parliamentary committees, the president’s advisory group and legal experts, the bill needs to be made comprehensive and submitted to Parliament, Khin Maung Aye said.

The bill comprises seven chapters with 37 sections covering areas such as objectives, journalists’ rights and ethics, rules for the formation of press council and rules for the 

establishment of print media organisations.