The article, which is a review of the movie, ‘Union Oath,’ was aired over Myawaddy TV channel, owned by the military

U Kyaw Min Swe, chief editor of The Voice Daily, told The Myanmar Timesyesterday that they were informed by the Bahan township police station about the report and that the military had lodged the complaint.

The review, which is said to be satirical in nature, was written by British Ko Ko Maung on March 26.

The military had alleged that the review had intended to damage its dignity.

Lt-Col Tun Tun Oo from the Yangon Region military command had reported the matter to the Myanmar Press Council in order to resolve the issue.

The Voice Daily had responded to the military’s complaint on May 14 by publishing a note saying they were not happy if their article was meant to be damaging the military’s dignity.

Three days later, the military filed a complaint under Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law before a solution could be found.

The section stipulates, among other things, that anyone found to be “extorting, coercing, restraining wrongfully, defaming, disturbing, causing undue influence or threatening any person by using any telecommunications network facilities faces prosecution and a possible prison sentence of up to three years, plus a fine.”

“While we were still negotiating with the press council, they [military] filed the complaint under Section 66(d). We cannot say anymore in the current situation. We have to meet the press council tomorrow [May 18],” U Kyaw Min Swe said.

U Aung Hla Tun, vice chair of the Myanmar Press Council said yesterday that the press council will hold a meeting today (May 18) on the complaint and the press council committee will seek an amicable solution to the matter.

“We are surprised by this move. We will find a solution on how to solve this issue,” U Kyaw Min Swe said.

Maung Saung Kha, an activist who is involved in trying to get Section 66(d) to be abolished or amended and who was once imprisoned under the same section, said that the number of complaints under the section now stands at 66 cases, including the latest involving The Voice Daily.

Activists have criticised the section saying that the measures prescribed appear to contradict Section 354 of the Constitution which protects the right of free expression, unless it is deemed to undermine “law and order, community peace and tranquility or public order and morality”.

Journalists say that Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law is an obstacle to reporters pursuing an investigative story.

In another incident, Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein had filed a complaint under the same section against the chief executive officer and chief editor of the Eleven Media Group on an investigative report.