Two Reuters reporters have been charged by the Myanmar government for violating the Official Secrets Act, The Guardian reported.
Support Independent Media
The media must be free and fair, uninfluenced by corporate or state interests. That's why you, the public, need to pay to keep news free.
ContributeWa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe, 27, were arrested less than a month ago after the Myanmarese Police accused them of acquiring “important secret papers” from the police, thus violating the state’s Official Secrets Act. If convicted, the journalists, who were covering persecution of Rohingya Muslims in the nation’s Rakhine state, face a jail sentence of up to 14 years.
Reports state that the indictment happened on January 10.
The ministry of information has cited the police as saying that the journalists were arrested for possession of “important and secret government documents” related to “Rakhine state and security forces”. The information was acquired illegally with the intention to share the same with foreign media, The Guardian report cited the ministry as saying.
The news has evoked mass condemnation on social media. Former US president Bill Clinton has asked for immediate release of the journalists.
Power NL-TNM Election Fund
General elections are around the corner, and Newslaundry and The News Minute have ambitious plans together to focus on the issues that really matter to the voter. From political funding to battleground states, media coverage to 10 years of Modi, choose a project you would like to support and power our journalism.
Ground reportage is central to public interest journalism. Only readers like you can make it possible. Will you?