Human rights monitors on Wednesday urged Burma to withdraw a ban on protests in its largest city, Yangon, amid fears that free speech is under pressure under the government led by democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi.

Burma’s lower house of parliament today approved a bill granting the government power to oversee public misuse of the Internet.

Critics have accused the NLD-led government of over-promising and under-delivering on legislative reform.

The decision marks the end of a four-month ordeal that began when The Voice Daily duo were arrested for a satirical column lampooning Burma’s military.

In a surprise Friday announcement, the Tatmadaw said that it will be dropping charges it had brought against six journalists, including a high-profile “unlawful association” case it had brought against two reporters from DVB and one from The Irrawaddy news outlet.

But for many civil rights activists who had called for parliament to repeal the Telecommunications Act, lawmakers have failed to tackle the issue.