Last week, civil society representatives from across Myanmar, representing a range of diverse interests, met in Yangon to found the National Right to Information Working Group. The Working Group is the result of over a year of advocacy and awareness raising efforts by Pyi Gyi Khin (PGK), a Myanmar-based NGO, and the Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD), which have worked together over the last year to host workshops across the country to build support for the right to information.
“Myanmar’s civil society strongly supports the right to information,” said Nwezin Win, Executive Director of PGK. “Having brought stakeholders from across the country together on this issue, we look forward to uniting to take this conversation forward.”
The participants unanimously approved a Charter for the Working Group, and agreed on a national advocacy strategy for the coming year.
Click here to read the Charter of the Myanmar Right to Know Working Group
“As Myanmar’s first democratically elected government prepares to assume power, we urge them to consider the right to information as a priority issue,” said CLD’s Senior Legal Officer, Michael Karanicolas. “The election in November was an important step, but elections are just one aspect of a healthy democracy. We hope that they will demonstrate a commitment to this important right.”
In addition to the civil society workshop, last week CLD and PGK held an event for lawyers on the right to information in collaboration with the Myanmar Media Lawyers’ Network, and a training for the News Media Council.
For further information, please contact:
Michael Karanicolas
Senior Legal Officer
Centre for Law and Democracy
michael@law-democracy.org
+1 902 448-5290
www.law-democracy.org
twitter: @law_democracy
