Yangon Region government issued a statement on October 11 which explains why the government arrested journalists from Eleven Media for their reporting which it said was based on wrong facts.

In the statement, Yangon Region government explained that they arrested the journalists and prosecuted them for an article written by Phyo Wai which appeared in the October 8 Issue of Weekly Eleven journal in which some facts were wrong.

The columnist wrote in the article that the shares of Yangon Metropolitan public company constituted by the Yangon Region government were kept in the name of an individual, Mya Thaung, and this was the wrong procedure.

The statement issued by Region Government says, “Region Government Minister of Planning and Finance Myint Thaung got involved in the business of this company in representation of regional government and did not buy shares with public money and keep them in the name of the individual.”

“The article published by Eleven Media caused disaffection to government by the public and distrust which leads to inducing people to commit offences against government so that the government lodged a direct complaint at Tamwe Township court under section 505(b) of Penal Code (public mischief) against the journalists and then they were arrested by court warrant,”

The Myanmar Press Council also issued a press statement on October 11 which strongly condemned the arrest of the journalists. The press statement says Myanmar Press Council has no authority on intervening in the case reached but the Yangon Region government should review the case and lodge a complaint to the Press Council. Myanmar Press Council wants to settle the case through arbitration in accordance with Press Council Law and the Press Council strongly condemns the arrest and prosecution of journalists with other laws instead of Press Council Law.