The Interim Press Council has refused a demand from the Ministry of Information to mediate with the weekly journal Thuriya Nay Win over accusations it breached journalistic ethics, council secretary U Kyaw Min Swe told Mizzima on December 17.
“The Interim Press Council has no right to put pressure on the journal as it is only a provisional council,” U Kyaw Min Swe said.
“However, we will share the [ministry’s] letter with Thuriya Nay Win so that they are informed of what is being demanded,” he said.
The ministry on December 12 sent a letter to the Interim Press Council, demanding it negotiate with Thuriya Nay Win.
The ministry accused Thuriya Nay Win of breaching journalistic standards by unfairly targeting the government and indulging in sensational journalism.
The statement said Thuriya Nay Win had agreed to comply with the standards of ethical journalism when it was issued with its publishing licence earlier this year.
The chief executive officer of Thuriya Nay Win, U Moe Hein, could not be reached for comment.
In an interview with Mizzima on October 31, U Moe Hein questioned how journalistic standards in Myanmar had been set and demanded to know who was responsible for enforcing them.
