Athan – a non-profit organization for the Freedom of Expression Movement in Myanmar, was founded by youth activists on 15th January 2018 and intends to ensure the right to freedom of expression to practice in society.

Athan, a research-based organization, was established by combining two organizations, (RTTL) Research Team for Telecommunications Laws and (WSJ) We Support Journalists, to promote Freedom of Expression with three core approaches – research, advocacy, and awareness-raising. Our organization continuously researches and investigates laws, customs, regulations, and case studies that oppress freedom of expression and works on legal reform according to democracy standards, campaigns, and lobbying to achieve a broader level of freedom of expression in respective country categories based on our research and investigation.

Athan and its founder, Maung Saungkha, earned the Human Rights Tulip Award from the Netherlands in December 2018. Athan’s ambition for Myanmar is to become a society with complete freedom of expression, which is one of the democratic standards.

Goal

The entire society has the right to freedom of expression.

Vision

To ensure the whole society have the full right to practice freedom of expression.

Mission

We, as an activist organization, encourage the establishment of laws and mechanism that protect the right to freedom of expression in accordance with democratic standards by monitoring, identifying, documenting, and publishing the laws, mechanisms and procedures which are obstacles to freedom of expression and conducting trainings and advocating the solutions to overcome these obstacles.