Two Reuters Journalists who had covered massacre of Rohingyas has been sentenced to seven years prison for having illegal officials documents or secrets act. The verdict is being seen as an attack on media and freedom of expression.
The convicted journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Ooo had pleaded not guilty to violating the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, a British draconian law which carries punishment of 14 years in prison. They even contended in Myanmar’s court saying they were framed by the local police.
The Myanmar court’s verdict has drawn international media attentions, how Myanmar government’s outrageous attempts to stifle the voice of media? Interestingly, this all is being done under the government of Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. When she came to power in 2016, people were hopeful that she would bring some changes and make Myanmar a fully democracy country from military rule, but she disappointed many.
“What happened today threatens to undermine the rule of law and freedom of press that democracy requires,” said Kevin Krolicki, Reuters’ regional editor for Asia. He called the Myanmar’s verdict a “heartbreaking.
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Both the journalists Wa Lone, and Kyaw Soe Ooo testified they suffered from harsh treatment during their initial interrogations. Their several appeals for release on bail were rejected. Wa Lone’s wife, Pan Ei Mon, gave birth to the couple’s first child in Yangon on Aug. 10, but Wa Lone didn’t even see his daughter.
While, the convicted journalist denied their charges and said, they were just doing their job to expose the extrajudicial killing of 10 Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine village in Myanmar last year. They further said, there were invited to dinner by Myanmar Police and Police handed over the documents before they were arrested of possessing classified documents. But their testimonies has no value before the Myanmar court, and he said, “It is found that the culprits intended to harm the interests of the state. And so they have been found guilty under the state secrets act. And they are sentenced to seven year in jail each.”
While on Saturday, hundreds of Journalists took to street to protest against the Myanmar government and in support of these two journalist who were jailed for seven year.
United Nation Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Myanmar Knut Ostby said the UN was “fully disappointed by today’s court decision.”
“The UN has consistently called for the release of the Reuters journalists and urged the authorities to respect their right to pursue freedom of expression and information,” he said. “Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo should be allowed to return to their families and continue their work as journalists.”
In the latest US expression of concern, Washington’s envoy to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said the Trump administration expected to see the two journalists acquitted of all charges.
Haley told the Security Council during a discussion of the Rohingya crisis last week that “a free and responsible press is critical for any democracy.”
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