The Rangoon Division Police Department Chief Win Maung lodged a first information report (FIR) against him in the Kyauktada Police station under the 'Unlawful Associations Act' and the 'Electronic Communication Law'.

He faces up to one year in prison for each case if found guilty, a Home Ministry source said.

The Kyauktada Township police station declined to provide further details. The township police stations in Rangoon Division have been barred recently from giving out news and information on crimes committed.

The Rangoon Division Police office summoned Saw Myint Than and gave him a dressing down for reporting the double murder which was published in last week's issue of the 'Flower News' journal.

The source from the Home Ministry said the police accused him later of defaming the police department by despatching the news to a news agency in exile.

Earlier, the township police stations could give out information on crime to domestic reporters but now the Home Ministry has issued a circular authorizing only the Rangoon Division Police headquarters to release news of crime to the media.

Incidentally, the news of the double murder which appeared in this journal had been passed by the 'Press Scrutiny Board' (Censor Board) under the Ministry of Information.