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Published on Thursday 15 March 2012 ...
Reporters Without Borders is worried by the mining
ministry’s announcement that it plans to launch “legal proceedings”
against the Rangoon-based weekly The Voice
for reporting that cases of alleged corruption involving the mining
ministry and five other ministries were revealed by the report of a
government audit that was given to parliamentarians last week.
The press freedom organization urges the mining ministry
not to bring a libel suit against the weekly as it would send a
negative signal to the media and they have a legitimate right to take an
interest in the functioning of government institutions.
Several news media mentioned the audit report and the
corruption allegations. The mining ministry has a right of response and
has publicly denied the allegations. But a libel suit would intimidate
Burmese journalists and would encourage self-censorship.
The ministry’s announcement has served to re-emphasize
the need for the creation of an independent press council that can
mediate between the media and plaintiffs.
The mining ministry’s statement was reported yesterday by the government-run New Light of Myanmar
newspaper. One of the cases of alleged corruption involving the mining
ministry concerns the sale of a mining project to Union of Myanmar
Economic Holdings (UMEH), a leading industrial holding with close links
to the military.
An official with the information ministry, one of the six ministries named in the audit, told Democratic Voice of Burma reporter Than Win Htut that he objected to the use of the word “embezzlement of Information Ministry”.
On 13 March, Reporters Without Borders and its partner organization, the Burma Media Association (BMA), expressed concern about recent restrictions on media freedom in Burma.
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