October 11, 2020
Director-General U Zaw Htay from the Ministry of State Counsellor Office held an online press conference yesterday, and it was joined by the journalists of local and foreign media organizations.
The Director-General first explained the false news about the State Counsellor on social media, being exposed to infection of COVID-19 and substation with another person for her health condition.
False news runs rampant as the elections have been nearer.
Investigations could identify some persons who posed the fake, false and fabricated news, together with their names, Facebook accounts, page names, profiles, address, phone numbers, gmail addresses and photos; their accounts have unveiled their political support in two main categories.
The Director-General added the State Counsellor has instructed not to take legal actions against those who posed the misinformation, but they will be published on the press meeting page and social media page of the Ministry of Information. He continued to say that some political leaders are spreading wrong news about COVID-19 situations in the country, urged them to stop the works that can cause negative impacts on the efforts of health workers; although they removed their accounts, authorities have recorded their posts which are sufficient proofs for legal actions.
He also advised those persons not to create confusions on social media without contributing their services for the public.
He also said that the State Counsellor made a discussion with the chief ministers of local governments on 9 October about commodity flows and the roles of truck drivers and their mates who have to enter different regions; the meeting adopted a Standard Operation Procedure; the Rapid Test Kits will be used for them at a discount cost.
The Director-General then replied to the questions of media on the issues of legal action against the Chairman of United Democratic Party (Rose Party), coordination between the government the Tatmadaw in COVID-19 measures, appointment of military officers at the Ministry of Home Affairs for the duties in Rakhine State, issuing national scrutiny card to the chairman of ‘Rose Party’ and investigations to departmental staff and officials who allowed the border pass to him, the instruction of government to the Union Election Commission regarding the Rose Party, possible legal actions against political leaders for their false news during COVID-19 outbreak, actions against participants who violated COVID-19 directives in political campaigns, the remark of government on the accusation of Human Rights Watch about situations in Rakhine State, specific orders of the government to UEC, investigation on the land property of Rose Party, participation of government for the successful holding of free and fair elections during COVID-19 period, recommendations on the areas for elections, election campaign of the President and the State Counsellor, plans to hold elections in the areas with armed conflicts, discussions of border guard forces between Myanmar and Bangladesh, citizenship and voting rights for the returnees from Bangladesh to Myanmar, regular commodity flow and economic recovery, relief assistance to the people in the townships under the Stay-at-Home order, reimbursement of government for the costs in public relief aid during the pandemic, situation of two soldiers arrested by the terrorist group, covering elections for local and foreign media, editing of UEC on the broadcast campaign speech of political parties, relaxation of directives for COVID-19 in Yangon Region, plans of government for safe voting, the number of polling booths across the country and possible procurement of Remdesivir medicine from India.—MNA (Translated by Aung Khin)
