Police toughen control on media

The newspapers included The Voice Daily, Myanmar Post, Myanmar Herald and the Unity.

Currently five newspapers including The Voice Daily, Myanmar Post, Myanmar Herald and the Unity had been interrogated.

"It's an indirect threatening against media freedom, whether it is intentional or not,” said Kyaw Min Swe, editor-in-chief for The Voice Daily, also the secretary of the Interim Myanmar Press Council.

On his Facebook page, Kyaw Min Swe said that the special branch known as "SB" summoned us (including other newspapers) to question whether our businesses are making profit or loss. If it’s its job? Who authorised it to do so? Who directed it to interrogate us and under which law? He also questioned if the intelligence task forces’ power superseding over the rule of law is the shadow of previous dictatorship.

He furthered that even if the daily newspapers are running with a loss, profits from weekly editions help support them. In my opinion, it is insulting our standard and prestige. I assumed that this act is an offence to the law. This act is disgraceful to our freedom, human rights and democracy.”

Veteran journalist Phoe Thauk Kyar, vice chairman of the Interim Myanmar Press Council, said that he has learnt about the inquisition. He said that the council was not informed about it. 

“I don’t like this. The council should be asked first. They just ignore the existence of the Press Council. If the government itself doesn’t recognise the council, who will? This action (interrogation) can be called a threat against media freedom. I heard that they even asked why local newspapers continued their business despite losses. They even got angry knowing that a copy of a newspaper is sold at Ks 50 when the production cost is Ks 40 per a sheet of paper,” said Phoe Thauk Kyar.

The authorities are giving mixed comments on the situation. 

Brig-Gen Kyaw Kyaw Tun, deputy minister for Home Affairs said that the ministry just wanted to discuss with media over their operations. 

“We invited them for the discussion, which could be any time depending on their convenience. What we are doing is not the investigation. This is the discussion only. Some journals are very successful. Some journals achieve the success while others are meeting with failures. We asked for their ways of gaining the achievements. And we did not interrogate them. I don’t want to say about arrested former minister Hsan Hsint. And I cannot tell about it now” said Kyaw Kyaw Tun.

Yet, Deputy Police Colonel Kyaw Kyaw Han of Yangon Region Special Branch of Myanmar Police Forces admitted that some newspapers have been interrogated. He explained that the inquisition is to safeguard national security.

“We are asking for the information we need,” he said. “They questioned our motive to learn about the media industry’s financial status. At this Special Branch, we are concerned with everything related to information and news. Therefore, we mainly discuss about information and news. Our job is security affairs. We question because we have to,” he said.

"I also asked how the media obtained information for their coverage," he said.

He continued that the whole private media industry will be questioned.

Myint Kyaw, the secretary general of Myanmar Journalist Network, noted that ones should not be called for interrogation if they did not break the laws. 

“If they think that this is right, their understanding of democracy is remarkably distorted. If they want information, they can come and ask. If they summon people for interrogation, they need strong evidence. The previous government could do that, citing national security. Like what they did to arrest Aung San Suu Kyi. That was done by the previous dictatorship regime. We strongly oppose this action,” Myint Kyaw added.