U Ye Htut, who is also a presidential spokesperson, said in an email to Mizzima on April 30 that he believed there was "genuine press freedom" in Myanmar.
In the email, U Ye Htut also said that an improvement was needed in the ethical standards of newspapers and journalists. He acknowledged that some ministries were reluctant to provide information to reporters and said they needed to regard transparency as an opportunity and not a threat.
The Deputy Information Minister also said that editors were not free to express opinions on some issues because of fear of legal action.
Responding to the comment about "genuine press freedom", Interim Press Council member U Zaw Thet Htwe asked how it was defined.
"And what is the yardstick to measure it by?" said U Zaw Thet Htwe, who said international press freedom indices showed that Myanmar lagged behind some member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
"We don't have the press freedom enjoyed by Thailand and the Philippines," he said.
"But if he wants to believe there is genuine press freedom, he can say that because he is a presidential spokesman and that's his opinion," U Zaw Thet Htwe said.
There was support for U Ye Htut's comment about the need to improve ethical standards from Interim Press Council vice chair, U Khin Maung Lay, who is also known as Pho Thaukya.
"Journalists must have more respect for ethics than the law," U Khin Maung Lay said.
"Ethics is the living spirit of journalism and journalists who are ethical have dignity and the ability to influence the people," he said.
http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/journalist-challenges-ministers-press-freedom-comment/
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