A leading human rights group is criticizing Myanmar's legislators for backing a new amendment to the telecommunications law, saying the amendment which allows bail for those charged with using online media for defamation does little to bring the law up to international freedom-of-speech standards, VOA reported on 4 August.
On Wednesday, the Upper House passed an amendment to Section 66(D) of the Telecommunication Law of 2013 in a confidential vote. The Lower House is expected to vote on the amendment next week.
Phil Robertson, the Asian affairs assistant director of Human Rights Watch, told VOA Burmese that the amendment to allow bail for those accused of defamation is like putting a Band-Aid on a wound gushing blood.