Military has filed nearly 50 lawsuits against journalists - Athan

08 January 2020
Military has filed nearly 50 lawsuits against journalists - Athan
Myanmar soldiers march during a parade commemorating the 74th Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, 27 March 2019. Photo: EPA

Myanmar’s military has filed nearly 50 lawsuits against critical journalists, individuals, and organizations it has accused of defamation during the civilian-led government’s nearly four years in office, a freedom of expression advocacy group said, RFA reported.

The Yangon-based youth-led group Athan, which means “voice” in Burmese, said that military officers filed 47 legal cases during the 45 months that Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) has been in power.

About 65 percent of the cases were filed by military officers, while seven others were filed by middlemen, and a dozen more were filed by the Yangon Regional Military Command, according to Athan.