Myanmar police arrest journalists over satirical story

Police in Myanmar have arrested a newspaper's chief editor and a columnist for allegedly defaming the military by publishing an article mocking its role in the country's efforts to reach a peace agreement with fractious minority groups.
A lawyer for The Voice Daily editor Kyaw Min Swe said today that the two were not released after being called in for questioning Friday over a lawsuit filed by the military under the country's Telecommunications Law.
A broadly defined offense under the law sets a prison term of up to three years for material judged defamatory that is transmitted over any telecommunications network, including online. Free speech advocates have criticised the law.

The lawyer, Khin Maung Myint, said the trial of the editor and columnist Ko Ko Maung would begin Thursday.