The State Administration Council on 20 December 2024 enacted the Amendment to the Myanmar Motion Pictures Law signed by SAC Chairman Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing as Law No 59/2024 under Section 419 of the Constitution of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar.
Sub-sections (a), (b) and (h) of the law shall be substituted with new definitions. Moreover, Sub-section (i) shall be added as a new definition. “Myanma Motion Pictures Enterprise” mentioned in Sub-section (a) of Section 3 shall be substituted with the word “Myanmar’s Motion Pictures” and “film artistes and film professionals” in Sub-section (d) with “film artistes and technicians”.
The word “Myanma Motion Pictures Enterprise” mentioned in sections 4, 7, 24, 25, 26, 27, 36 and 39 of the law shall be substituted with “the department”.
Sub-sections (i), (j), (k), (l), (m) and (n) of Section 4 shall be added as opening motion picture training schools, renting shooting equipment, giving film production services, operating film studios, developing pictures, sounding and special effects for motion pictures, establishing online cinemas, screening motion pictures with the use of applications and through online platforms.
Sections 5 and 8 shall be substituted with new provisions on the department functions. Section 8 mentioned substitutions of usages for the managing director of Myanma Motion Pictures Enterprise and the director-general of Information and Public Relations Department with the director of Myanmar’s Motion Pictures and the director of the Information and Public Relations Department.
Section 28 mentions the authority of the department.
Amendments in Chapters VII and VIII emphasize penalties for those who violate the provisions of the law. Section 30 mentions that the department shall impose a fine of K50,000 to K100,000 or revoke the licences of offenders. Moreover, Section 31 states the department shall impose a fine of K30,000 to K200,000 or revoke the cinema licences of offenders.
Those dissatisfied with the decision or order of the motion pictures censor board or the department may appeal at the Ministry of Information within 30 days.
According to Sections 38, 39, 40, 41 and 42, those who operate businesses related to motion pictures without licence or screen films without censor certificates will face deterrent legal action.
Section 49 of the law empowers the Ministry of Information to release necessary bylaws, rules and regulations following the agreement of the Union government, while the department, the motion pictures censor board and the assessment board of the Ministry of Information have the authority to release necessary notifications, orders, directives and procedures.
GNLM/TTA
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