Myanmar Penal Code
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The Penal Code of Myanmar is the official criminal code of Myanmar. The code was enacted on 1 May 1861 during British rule in Burma and is divided into 23 chapters.cite-ref-1[1]cite-ref-2[2] The Penal Code of Myanmar is nearly identical to the Indian Penal Code, due to their shared origins under British rule.cite-ref-3[3]
Sections 505(a) and 505(b) of the Penal Code are commonly used against journalists, activists, and protestors.cite-ref-0-4-0[4]cite-ref-1-5-0[5] As of 30 April 2020, 8 of the 50 convicted political prisoners were serving sentences for violating one or both of said sections.cite-ref-1-5-1[5] In the aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, the military junta amended section 505(a) to criminalise "fake news" and "incitement" against the military.cite-ref-0-4-1[4] Lawyers who represent activists and politicians have also been charged under section 505(a).cite-ref-6[6]
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• See also
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See also
References
cite-note-11. ↑ "Myanmar - Penal Code, 1861". ILO. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
cite-note-0-44. ↑ "Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: Echoes of the Past, Crises of the Moment, Visions of the Future". HLS Clinical and Pro Bono Programs. 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
cite-note-1-55. ↑ "Burma's Political Prisoners and U.S. Policy". Congressional Research Service. 2021-01-04.
cite-note-66. ↑ "Justice denied as regime targets activists' lawyers". Frontier Myanmar. 2022-08-30. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
cite-note-77. ↑ "Myanmar's criminal law and justice system perpetuates stigmatization, discrimination, and human rights violations against its LGBTQ people, new report finds". International Commission of Jurists. 2019-11-08. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
cite-note-88. ↑ citerefmyay2013Myay, Chan (2013-11-29). "LGBT Groups Call for Burma's Penal Code to Be Amended". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
cite-note-99. ↑ citerefslow2016Slow, Oliver (2016-02-27). "The left-over laws: Myanmar's colonial hangover". Frontier Myanmar. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
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