Myanmar junta amends private health service law to ban political and religious teaching in medical schools

Mizzima

The Myanmar junta, led by Min Aung Hlaing, has enacted a new amendment to the Private Health Service Law that strictly prohibits the teaching of politics, religion, or subjects deemed “incompatible with Myanmar culture” in private medical training schools, according to legislation issued on 17 February.

The junta amended Section 25 of the Private Health Service Law by inserting new provisions, including a clause banning the teaching of political subjects.

One provision states that private medical training schools must ensure they do not teach party political subjects unrelated to the approved curriculum, religious subjects, or subjects considered incompatible with Myanmar culture.

The provision requires those who establish, supervise, or manage private health services, along with health-care providers, to ensure that such subjects are not taught in the training schools.

The amendment also introduces two additional categories of private health services – private medical training schools and private outpatient surgery services – along with new regulatory requirements.

Revisions to Section 31 now stipulate that anyone operating a private hospital, private medical training school, or private outpatient surgery service without a license faces a prison sentence of between one and five years and may also be fined.

Section 33 of the amended law also states that anyone convicted of operating any private health service without a license other than a private hospital, private medical training school, private outpatient surgery service, private maternity ward, or private clinic shall face a prison sentence of not less than three months and not more than one year and may also be fined.

Following the 2021 coup, the military authorities also enacted a private education law in 2023 that bars private schools from teaching, lecturing on, promoting, or discussing party politics or political issues.