Charges dropped against 23 journalists

"We can't explain why the charges have been dropped," said police colonel Maung Maung Oo.

Some 70 people, including 23 Myanmar journalists, were charged with protesting without permission in mid-July.

The group held a silent demonstration against President Thein Sein as he met celebrities in Yangon. The protesters were charged under the Unlawful Assembly Act, and each faced up to three months in jail, police said.

Some protesters wore T-shirts that said "Stop Killing Press", calling for the release of the CEO of Unity Journal and the weekly's five journalists who had been sentenced to 10 years in jail on charges of violating state secrets.

The Unity Journal verdict stirred a series of protests in Yangon and Mandalay, which led to arrests.

Criticised for threats against press freedom, Thein Sein issued a public statement implying that he may invoke his constitutional rights to extend amnesty to journalists, as the handling of media professionals has faced growing criticism. He said Section 204 of the 2008 Constitution prescribes presidential power granting pardon and amnesty in accordance with the recommendation for the National Defence and Security Council.

He also said that Myanmar suffered from a tarnished image following violence incidents. In this regard, the public want the media "to be responsible, accountable and honourable without bias".

Despite the Unity Journal fiasco, Myanmar's ranking in the World Press Freedom Index 2014 moved up six places to the 145th.

Last year, Myanmar was placed 151st among 180 countries, which showed a big improvement from 169th the previous year.

"The substantial reforms in Burma, which could become a regional model for transition to democracy, were reflected in a big leap in the 2013 index. As the reform process begins to flag, the 'Burmese model' has yet to prove itself," said Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which compiled the annual rankings.

In the statement dated February 4, RSF raised concerns over the freedom of journalists in Myanmar, following the detention of the Unity Journal reporters and the jail sentence given to Eleven Media reporter Ma Khine.

http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/charges-dropped-against-23-journalists/