FCCM condemns a decision by a Myanmar court to sentence two Reuters reporters to seven years in prison


Reuters journalist Kyaw Soe Oo arrives at Insein court in Yangon Myanmar September 3 2018. REUTERS
Reuters journalist Kyaw Soe Oo arrives at Insein court in Yangon, Myanmar September 3, 2018. (REUTERS)
 
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Malaysia (FCCM) condemns a decision by a Myanmar court to sentence two Reuters reporters to seven years in prison after they were accused of violating a national secrets law.
 
Foreign journalists in Malaysia view with concern the harsh punishment meted out to Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo for their part in investigating the extrajudicial killings of 10 Rohingya Muslims in September last year, and are unconvinced by claims that they intended to harm the state of Myanmar.
 
“Journalists in all countries should be allowed to report the news without fear or favour, and we worry that such an action might lead to muzzled media freedoms and further intimidate journalists in Myanmar.
 
“We urge the government of Myanmar to immediately release Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo and drop all convictions laid out against them,” FCCM said in its statement.

Graduate with a Master of Mass Communication. 10 years working experience in the media and broadcasting.

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