Myanmar to introduce code of conduct for internet

YANGON: Myanmar will introduce a code of conduct to prevent the spread of hate speech over social media, as part of a response to last month's communal riots in the country, which had been instigated by the spread of false information online.

Myanmar's Information Minister Ye Htut told Channel NewsAsia the government will also introduce media literacy campaigns to educate citizens about using the Internet responsibly.

Myanmar's former military rulers had censored media organisations and banned private newspapers, but this changed after the civilian government came to power. Authorities have abolished censorship and thrown the door open to more media players.

According to unofficial reports, Myanmar has about 2.5 million Internet users in 2013/2014, of which one million have Facebook accounts.

But loosening the rules for expression has brought new challenges. Some citizens have exploited the anonymity of social media to spread hate speech, inciting violent public confrontations. Most recently, false accusations on social media about a Muslim man raping a Buddhist woman had sparked communal riots in Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city.

The information minister told Channel NewsAsia that awareness and a code of conduct will help maintain peace and stability.

Ye Htut said: "We have to start the campaign led by the civil societies about the hate speech and media literacy. We have to explain what is hate speech and what is strong opinion, or what is the freedom of expression. People don't know how to use their new-found freedom on the internet."

He added it is not a good time to start with legislation because people may misunderstand the initiative.

"For our situation, this is the best way to start with the voluntary education movement. So legislation will take time. I think all these initiatives will start from the civil societies and also the bloggers in our country," said Ye Htut.

Ye Htut also denied accusations that the government and its supporters have been stoking hatred online.

"It's damaging our country image and international community," he said. "We'll try to find how to navigate these uncharted waters without affecting the freedom of expression, internet freedom and without affecting the peace and stability of our society."

A regular Facebook user himself, Ye Htut hoped netizens will exercise self-regulation, and that media organisations use social media to provide accurate information and counter online rumours. 

http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/myanmar-to-introduce-code-of-conduct-for-internet-2/