The protest and signature collection event that journalists planned to hold in front of the Yangon Division Military Headquarters to call for the termination of Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law has been cancelled.
Thar Lon Zaung Htet from the Committee to Protect Myanmar Journalists said that the protest against Section 66(d) and signature collection event for June 23 near the Yangon Division Military Headquarters has been cancelled because the local government did not give permission.
“The government did not allow us to hold the event,” he said, noting the Yangon Division government had supplied the ban in writing.
West District Leader of Ministry of Home Affairs General Administrative Department, Head of Mayangone township Saw Nyi Nyi Htwe, Police Chief of Myangone township Soe Aung, and a Myangone township attorney met again with the representatives of the Committee to Protect Myanmar Journalists on June 22 morning to negotiate permission to make the protest.
Vice Police Chief of Yangon West district Thein Lwin negotiated with them on June 21 evening to have the protest under the overpass in front of the Golden Duck Restaurant instead of having the protest right in front of the Yangon Division Military Headquarters.
However, Thar Lon Zaung Htet said the reason given in the letter to ban the protest was because the protest area was a restricted area and that the protest could endanger citizens.
The Committee to Protect Myanmar Journalists published a statement saying that this action reveals a violation of the rights to protest.
