Two Reuter’s Journalists Sentenced in Myanmar

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Category: World News - Europe

Published on Tuesday, 04 September 2018 06:51

Written by Janet Walker

The recent sentencing of two Myanmar reporters working for Reuter's, the global news organization, has brought quick condemnation from global leaders who watched the trial closely and believe the judges ignored evidence that vindicated the two men.

"Today is a sad day for Myanmar, Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, and the press everywhere," Reuters editor-in-chief Stephen J. Adler said in a statement carried by the news agency. "These two admirable reporters have already spent nearly nine months in prison on false charges designed to silence their reporting and intimidate the press." Adler said Reuters may "seek relief in an international forum" Reuter's reported.

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"The U.S. says the conviction of two Reuters reporters in Myanmar is deeply troubling for all who support press freedom and the transition toward democracy. In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Yangon said "the clear flaws in this case raise serious concerns about rule of law and judicial independence in Myanmar, and the reporters' conviction is a major setback to the Government of Myanmar's stated goal of expanding democratic freedoms," Fox News reported.

The United States has called for their immediate release.

British Ambassador Dan Chugg, who was in court for Monday's verdict, said the case has "struck a hammer-blow to the rule of law in Myanmar," Fox News reported. He also called for the release of the two.

The seven year sentence was imposed after a quick, sham stemming from a police set-up.

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Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe were working on an expose of the government policy of violence against the nations' 700,000 Rohingya Muslim minority when local police agreed to meet them. At the meet the documents were exchanged, the police promptly arrested the two journalists.

The United Nations has determined the violence against the Rohingya Muslin's resulted in a genocide and those responsible should be charged with war crimes.

Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar Civilian leader, who had been under house arrest for 15 years and depended on the media to fight her cause for her, has remained silent. Appealing to her has proven futile. Human Rights groups have championed the journalists cause with no response from the Myanmar government.

This is a developing story.