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Lack of Consultation on the Citizens Privacy and Security Law is a Missed Opportunity

MCRB will continue to work for a Myanmar Law or Laws that respect human rights and address data privacy, surveillance/lawful interception and cybercrime.
MCRB will continue to work for a Myanmar Law or Laws that respect human rights and address data privacy, surveillance/lawful interception and cybercrime.

MCRB has joined eight civil society organisations in a statement expressing dismay that the recently adopted Citizens Privacy and Security Law is inconsistent with international human rights norms and definitions, and was written and adopted by Parliament without public consultation.

The statement is available in English and Burmese.

The adopted law is available in Burmese; and our unofficial English translation. There is inconsistent usage in the law of Citizen (naing-ngan-tha) and person (pogouq-ta-u-u). The unofficial translation uses the word in the Burmese text.

MCRB previously submitted comments on the draft law, and also raised these with Parliamentarians in the wider context of reform of the Telecommunications Law and the need to protect freedom of expression and data privacy.  The main changes to the Law compared to the original draft are the removal of byelaw making powers from the Home Ministry, the insertion of vague wording in Article 8 to ‘permission from the Union President or a Union-level Government body’.

MCRB will continue to work for a Myanmar Law or Laws that respect human rights and address data privacy, surveillance/lawful interception and cybercrime to address major gaps in the Myanmar legal framework, and encourage the Myanmar government to draw on technical advice from international experts in this complex and rapidly changing field.

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