Reuters reporters charged under Official Secrets Act in Myanmar

Two Reuters reporters have been charged by the Myanmar government for violating the Official Secrets Act, The Guardian reported. 

Wa 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.