(Hong Kong, January 31, 2007) A rights defender in Burma on Friday sued 30 news journals for slander after they all published an article portraying her as a prostitute.
Naw Ohn Hla, a 43-year-old from Hmawbi, near Rangoon, lodged a complaint in the Sanchaung court over an article published in the periodicals throughout January in which she was said to hang out in a place known to be frequented by prostitutes.
In a January 23 letter to the state authorities, a copy of which has been obtained by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), she announced that she would sue the 123 publishers and editors over the article, which was apparently published on orders of the government.
“In fact, although taking legal action against the 30 publications, Ohn Hla is confronting the state itself,” Basil Fernando, executive director of the Hong Kong-based regional rights group, observed.
Some of the editors said that they had been instructed to publish the article by the information ministry, Radio Free Asia reported on January 28.
Publishers of private journals in Burma are fortnightly called for meetings at the ministry where they are instructed on what news to cover or omit, and are given articles to publish attacking democracy activists, foreign governments and exiled political groups.
“Although we are aware of many such articles attacking individual democracy supporters in Burma, this is the first case we are aware of in which such a libel case has been lodged,” Fernando said.
“It is an act of considerable courage that will be another serious challenge to Burma’s totally degraded courts,” he said.
Ohn Hla was targeted as she is one of a group of women who come to the famous Shwedagon Pagoda every Tuesday to pray for the release of political prisoners and the achievement of democracy in the country.
In recent weeks the group has obtained growing attention and hostility from the authorities.
On January 23 they were reportedly doused with dirty water while the police were in attendance, and on January 16 some of the group were assaulted by persons alleged to be special police and other officials.
In its 2006 human rights report the AHRC described Burma’s courts as part of “a system of injustice”.
Many complainants are themselves made into defendants after the authorities sue them back.
“Burma’s judges are as culpable as its generals for the demoralised state of the country today,” the group said.
The report is available on line, at: http://material.ahrchk.net/hrreport/2006/Burma2006.pdf
