The State Law and Order Restoration Council
The Television and Video Law
(The State Law and Order Restoration Council Law No. 8/96)
The 14th Waxing Day of 2nd Waso, 1358 M.E.
(29th July, 1996)

The State Law and Order Restoration Council hereby enacts the following Law

Chapter I
Title and Definition

1. This Law shall be called the Television and Video Law.

2. The following expressions contained in this Law shall have the meanings given hereunder:-
(a) Television Set means an apparatus which can receive the television transmission;

(b) Video means the representation of a still picture or moving picture or picture and sound by any television technology;

(c) Video Cassette Recorder means any apparatus which can reproduce the video;

(d) Video Tape means any cassette tape, laser disc or any similar facility in which picture and sound are recorded. This expression also includes video recordings and video copying.

(e) Licence for Possession means the licence for possession, issued under this Law for the purpose of utilization of the television set or the video cassette recorder;

(f) Licence for Video Business means the licence issued under this Law
for any type of the video business.

Chapter II
Objectives

3. The objectives of this law are as follows:-
(a) to modernize and uplift the standard of video business;

(b) to cause the emergence of video tapes which will be beneficial for
the all-round development of the State and the preservation of Myanmar cultural heritage;

(c) to cause emergence of video tapes which will contribute towards national solidarity and, dynamism of patriotic spirit;

(d) to prohibit and ban decadent video tapes which will undermine Myanmar culture and Myanmar tradition;

(e) to control and prevent malpractices which are caused through video business.

Chapter III
Licence for Possession

4. Any person who holds and uses a television set or a video cassette recorder
shall apply for licence for possession, in accordance with the stipulations to the
relevant post office within 30 days from the date of receipt of the same.

5. (a) The applicant shall pay the fee payable out of the following fees in
accordance with the stipulations to the relevant post office:-

(i) fee of the licence for possession;

(ii) overdue fee;

(iii) extension fee;

6. Upon the expiry of the tenure of the licence for possession, a person desirous of extending such tenure shall have the extension effected by paying to prescribed fee to the relevant post office.

7. The Ministry of Communications, Posts and Telegraphs shall determine the tenure and fee of the licence for possession, overdue fee and extension fee.

8. Any person who is desirous of possessing any satellite television receiver shall comply with the order and directives relating to import, possession, use, transfer, sale, issuance of licence, determination of licence fee and licence conditions, issued from time to time by the Ministry of Communications, Posts and Telegraphs.

Chapter IV
Video Business Licence

9. A person desirous of operating any one of the following video business for a commercial purpose shall apply for the business licence for each type of the business to the relevant State or Divisional Video Business Supervisory Committee in the prescribed manner:-

(a) production of video;

(b) video taping;

(c) editing of video;

(d) copying of video tape;

(e) distribution of video tape;

(I) hiring of video tape;

(g) exhibiting by video.

10. The relevant State or Divisional Video Business Supervisory Committee shall, after scrutinizing as to whether or not the application is in conformity with the stipulations:-
(a) if it conforms, grant the respective video business licence to the applicant upon receiving the prescribed fee;

(b) if it does not conform, refuse to grant the video business licence.

11. A person desirous of extending the tenure of the video business licence shall on expiry thereof apply to the relevant State or Divisional Video Business Supervisory Committee in the prescribed manner.

12. The relevant State or Divisional Video Business Supervisory Committee shall scrutinize the application, cause payment of the prescribed fee to be made and may extend the tenure of the video business licence.

13. The Ministry of Information shall determine the tenure and fee of video business licence, overdue fee and extension fee.

14. The Myanmar Motion Picture Enterprise shall determine the conditions to be complied with by the video business licence holder.

15. The video business licence shall become invalidated on expiry of the tenure or on revocation or when surrendered by the video business licence holder.

Chapter V
Formation of the Video Business Supervisory Central Committee;
Functions and Duties Thereof

16. The Ministry iof Information:-
(a) shall form the Video Business Supervisory Central Committee comprising the following persons:

(i) Managing Director,
Myanmar Motion Picture
Enterprise                                                                              Chairman

(ii) Representatives from the relevant Government
departments and organizations                                             Members

(iii) Suitable Citizens                                                               Members

(iv) Director,
Myanmar Motion
Picture Enterprise                                                                 Secretary

(b) may determine the-tenure of the Video Business Supervisory Central Committee;

(c) may re-constitute the Video Business Supervisory Committee as necessary.

17. Members of the Video Business Supervisory Central Committee who arenon-governmental members are entitled to receive remuneration determined by the Ministry of Information.

18. The functions and duties of ~the Video Business Supervisory Central
Committee are as follows:
(a) supervising video business for the success of the objectives of this Law;

(b) supervising and giving guidance to the activities of the Sate or Divisional Video Business Supervisory Committees;

(c) taking action as may be necessary; finding that any order or decision made by the State or Divisional Video Business Supervisory Committee is not in conformity with the Law;

(d) assigning from time to time functions and duties to State or Divisional Video Business Supervisory Committee.

Chapter VI
Formation of State or Divisional Video Business Supervisory
Committees; Duties and Powers Thereof

19. The Ministry of Information:-
(a) shall form the State or Divisional Video Business Supervisory Committee comprising persons from relevant government departments and government organizations. In so forming, the Chairman and secretary shall be determined;

(b) may determine the tenure of the State or Divisional Video Business Supervisory Committee;

(c) may re-constitute the State or Divisional Video Business Supervisory Committee, as may be necessary;

(d) if it is necessary to form more than one Video Business Supervisory Committee within a State or Division, it may do so.

20. The duties and powers of the State or Divisional Video Business Supervisory Committee are as follows:-
(a) granting or refusing the Video business licence after scrutinizing as to whether or not the application is in conformity with the stipulations;

(b) inspecting and supervising the Video business;

(c) imposing on the video business licence holder who violates any of the terms and conditions prescribed by the Myanmar Motion Picture Enterprise a fine which may extend from a minimum of kyats 5,000 to a maximum of kyats 50,000 and also revoking the video business licence;

(d) carrying out the duties assigned by the Ministry of Information or Video Business Supervisory Central Committee.

21. The State or Divisional Video Business Supervisory Committee may, if necessary, form the District or Township Video Business Supervisory Committee in accordance with the stipulations. In so forming, it shall determine the duties and functions thereof.

Chapter VII
Formation of Video Censor Board and Duties and Powers Thereof

22. The Ministry of Information:-
(a) shall form the Video Censor Board comprising the following persons:-

(1) Managing Director of the
Myanmar Motion Picture Enterprise                                      Chairman

(2) representatives from the relevant government
departments and government organizations                         Members

(3) suitable citizens                                                               Members

(4) Director of Myanmar Motion Picture Enterprise                Secretary

(b) may determine the tenure of the Video Censor Board.

(c) may reconstitute the Video Censor Board as may be necessary.

23. Members of the Video Censor Board who are non-governmental members are entitled to receive the remuneration determined by the Ministry of Information.

24. When application is made for video censor certificate in respect of Myanmar Video tapes produced and submitted or video tapes which have been imported or brought from a foreign country, the Video Censor Board, after examining as to whether it is in conformity with the policies laid down:-
(a) may permit exhibition to the public or for a family show;

(b) may prohibit public exhibition of the video tape and may seize or destroy such video tape;

(c) may permit public exhibition or family show of the video tape after making excision, amending or erasing the portion which is not suitable for public exhibition or family show;

(d) shall issue the video censor certificate after causing payment of the prescribed fee to be made if the video tape is permitted for public exhibition and family show.

25. (a) The Video Censor Certificate issued by the Video Censor Board shall be valid throughout Myanmar for the prescribed period.

(b) The Video Censor Certificate issued by the Video Censor Board shall be included in showing the video tape. Moreover, the small-sized Video Censor Certificate with the permitted serial number shall be attached on the video tape.

26. The Video Censor Board:-
(a) shall collect the prescribed fee for- inspecting the video tape from the person concerned;

(b) may, if necessary, inspect again the video tape that has been issued Video Censor Certificate;

(c) may revoke any Video Censor Certificate, if there is valid reason to do so.

27. When a person dissatisfied with the decision of the Video Censor Board appeals to the Ministry of Information on the Board’s decision passed under sub-section (b) or (c) of section 24, the Video Censor Board shall cause compliance with the order passed on appeal. If there is no appeal, it shall cause compliance in accordance with its decision, on the expiry of the appellate period.

Chapter VIII
Appeal

28. A person dissatisfied with the order or decision of the Video Censor Board or Video Business Supervisory Central Committee or State or Divisional Video Business Supervisory Committee may appeal to the Ministry of Information within 60 days from the date of the passing of such order or decision.

29. The Ministry of Information may confirm, set aside, revise the order or decision passed by the Video Censor Board or Video Business Supervisory Central Committee or State or Divisional Video Business Supervisory Committee or direct re-scrutinizing or re-examination to be made.

30. The decision of the Ministry of Information shall be final and conclusive.

Chapter IX
Offences and Penalties

31. Whoever with the exception of a Government department and government organization operates the television transmission business without the premission of the Government shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 5 years or with fine. In addition, the property which relate directly to the offence shall also be confiscated.

32. Whoever commits one of the following acts shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years or with tine which may extend to kyats 100,000 or with both. In addition, the property which relate directly to the offence shall also be confiscated:-
(a) operating video business for commercial purpose without a video business licence;

(b) copying, distributing, hiring or exhibiting the video tape that has no video censor certificate and small-sized video censor certificate with the permitted serial number with the exception of cases exempted under this Law;

(c) copying, distributing, hiring or exhibiting the video tape without abiding by the directive of the Video Censor Board to make excision, amend or erase;

(d) exhibiting to the public the video tape imported or brought from a foreign country without video censor certificate;

(e) exhibiting to the public the video tape imported or brought from a foreign country and which is permitted only for the family show.

33. Whoever commits one of the following acts shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years or with fine which may extend to kyats 100, 000 or with both:-
(a) distributing, hiring or exhibiting the copied television programme transmitted by the government department or government organization, for commercial purpose;

(b) copying, distributing, hiring or exhibiting for commercial purpose a video tape which has already obtained video censor certificate, without permission of the licence holder of video production business or video tape distribution business.

34. If any video business licence holder operates video business other than the kind for which he holds licence he shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 1 year or with fine which may extend to kyats 100, 000 or with both. In addition, the property which relate directly to the offence shall also be confiscated.

35. If any video business licence holder transfers his video business licence to another person to operate he shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 months or with fine which may extend to kyats 50, 000 or with both.

36. Whoever fails to abide by an order or directive issued by the Ministry of Information or Video Censor Board or the Video Business Supervisory Central Committee under this Law shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 months or with fine which may extend to kyats 50, 000 or with both.

Chapter X
Miscellaneous

37. (a) Foreign diplomatic mission or the United Nations Organization desirous of public exhibition a video tape imported from a foreign country shall submit the same to the Video Censor Board for scrutiny.

(b) The Video Censor Board may, after examining the video tape:-