London: The Burmese authorities have lifted a 25-year-old ban on public gatherings of more than five people.
The order dates from 1988, when a military government took power after crushing pro-democracy protests.
The state-run newspaper said the law was being axed because it was not in line with the constitution.
It quoted officials as saying that basic rights, such as freedom of expression, were now constitutionally guaranteed, the BBC reports.
The public-gatherings ban was commonly used in the years immediately after 1988 as a tool to crush dissent against successive military regimes, the report said.
But it was eased following the end of military rule in November 2010, and when the elected government of President Thein Sein took office the following year, it added.
(ANI)
First Published: Wednesday, January 30, 2013, 14:48