The Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) is deeply troubled by the jailing of two Myanmar journalists for allegedly contravening the country’s Official Secrets Act.
Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, were found guilty by a district judge in Yangon and sentenced to seven years in jail. The reporters were arrested on 12 December 2017 while investigating the killings of ten Rohingya men and boys, and other abuses involving soldiers and police, in the Rakhine State village of Inn Din.
The reporters were found guilty of receiving classified documents in what a police witness at their trial admitted was a sting operation designed to block or punish them for reporting on a mass killing of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine, a clear case of entrapment. This follows the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar report published on 27 August that said Myanmar’s top military generals, including Commander-in-Chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing, must be investigated and prosecuted for genocide in the north of Rakhine State, as well as for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan States.
“The Association for International Broadcasting deplores the jailing of the two Reuters reporters in Myanmar,” said Simon Spanswick, AIB Chief Executive. “Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were working for a major international news agency carrying out a legitimate investigation into killings in the country. This is a clear case of responsible journalism being silenced by the authorities who fear the uncovering of truths that could harm their legitimacy. This Association joins with other organisations and the diplomatic community in Myanmar in condemning these verdicts and their negative impact on journalism and freedom of expression in the country. We call on the authorities to overturn these sentences at the earliest opportunity and demonstrate to the world community that the country respects journalistic freedom.”
According to Reuters, US ambassador to Myanmar Scot Marciel said the “deeply troubling” verdict could undermine the confidence the Myanmar people had in the justice system.
The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Myanmar Knut Ostby said he was “disappointed”.
“Unbelievable! More and more, responsible journalism is found to be a crime in Myanmar!” Yanghee Lee, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, said on Twitter.
British ambassador Dan Chugg, speaking on behalf of EU members, said the verdict had “dealt a hammer blow for the rule of law”.
The AIB is lodging complaints with the Myanmar Ambassador in London and in Washington DC.