Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Rangoon court to hold first hearing on Hot News journal suit

0 comments
 
Wednesday, 27 July 2011 11:18 Te Te

New Delhi (Mizzima) – The defamation suit against the Hot News journal and its Chief Editor Hay Mar will begin on Friday, according to Ye Myint, the lawyer for the plaintiff, the Shwegondine Specialist Center (SSC) hospital in Rangoon.

Hot News editor Hay Mar Photo: Mizzima
The SSC suit, filed with the Rangoon Region Court, seeks 2 billion kyat as compensation. A second suit for libel will be heard in Bahan Township Court on August 5.

A negotiator tried to mediate between the two sides, but no agreement has been reached, said Ye Myint.

The mediator is Kanbawza Bank owner Aung Ko Win, a close associate of the former junta’s second in command Maung Aye.

Chief Editor Hay Mar aka Ma Ma told Mizzima: “I met with the officials from the SSC at the headquarters of Kanbawza, but we could not reach an agreement. They said the information given by the patient’s family was false, and I said that we reported the complaint voiced by the SSC’s customer.”

Dr. Zaw Tun and Dr. Htay Htay Yi, the major shareholders of the SSC, attended the meeting. On July 8, the Hot News journal held a press conference and announced that it would defend itself against the suits. The meeting with SSC officials was held after the press conference.

In the journal’s first issue in June, it reported on alleged poor health care services at SSC. On June 6, the SSC sent a warning letter to the journal, saying it must apologize no later than June 30 because the information was false.

On June 24, the family of a patient sent letters to President Thein Sein, the Rangoon Region government and Myanmar Medical Council complaining about poor health care services provided by SSC, according to Hay Mar.

Hay Mar said she put a question regarding the case to Rangoon Region Minister Nyan Tun Oo at a press conference and it resulted in an argument.

“I asked him about the Rangoon Region authorities’ actions regarding with the case because there has been no action, and then he (Nyan Tun Oo) and I argued,” Hay Mar said.

Hay Mar aka Ma Ma is a daughter of retired Lieutenant General Khin Maung Than. She is also the executive editor of Payphoohlwar Magazine and the publisher of Faces Magazine.

In addition to the lawsuits filed by SSC, the Hot News journal faces a suit filed by the Myanmar [Burma] Tourism Promotion Board based on an article about the board’s activities.

Leave a Reply