MP moves to scrap jail threat for online activism
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In a move to protect activist Internet users from harsh penalties including prison sentences, Lower House MP Thein Nyunt has submitted proposed amendments to the controversial Electronic Transactions Law.
The law has been used by the military to send scores of political activists to prison for up to 15 years. The move to protect Myanmar’s online activists from the threat of jail comes in contrast to a crackdown in Asean neighbour Vietnam that has seen hundreds of political bloggers handed long sentences.
“The reason for amending this law is because it has been used to send experts with different political views to prison. I submitted a proposal to revoke it, but as it couldn’t be scrapped, the Deputy Minister of Information said we needed to amend it to keep up with the times.”
The amendments target Articles 34 to 37 of the Electronic Transactions Act and aim to replace prison sentences of up to 15 years with fines ranging from 100,000 to 5 million kyat (about Bt3,200 to Bt162,000).
More legislative moves to free up Internet use are expected in the future, as Myanmar’s economy begins to modernise, and the Internet becomes an important generator of jobs, as well as promoting debate and civil society.
