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In 2013 the Ministry of Information drafted its own press law, the Printing and Publishing Enterprise Law. While a step forward compared to the draconian 1962 law, as it abolishes prison sentences and reduces financial penalties for organisations that publish without prior governmental approval,22 the law maintains criminal sanctions as well as excessively high fines and requires a copy of publications to be sent to the Ministry for ‘registration and copyright procedures’. The new law has been accused of preserving censorship, as Section 8 prohibits the publication of various topics, including material that could “undermine national security and the rule of law”, “incite unrest”, or “violates the constitution and other existing laws”. Violation of any of these provisions can lead to a fine of between one million and three million kyats (£500 to £1,500).
In 2015, the law was used to prosecute five men who printed a calendar containing quotes from speeches by major post-independence figures in Burma describing Rohingya Muslims as a distinct ethnic group. They were convicted and fined 1 million kyat (£500) each under the law.
More information
“Printers and Publishing Enterprise Law” by Free Expression Myanmar