Myanmar freed Reuters Journalists which have been jailed for their reporting on the Rohingya crisis. Myanmar released Wa Lone aged 33 & Kyaw Soe Oo aged 29 after a presidential amnesty. They spent more than 500 days i.e. 16 and half months in the prison.
Both convicted under the Official Secrets Act and have to undergo 7 years of jail. But, it raised questions on Myanmar’s democracy. Many people saw it as an assault on press freedom.
Both of them have families with young children. Wa Lone’s wife discovered her pregnancy after his husband’s arrest. Hence Wa Lone could only see his daughter twice or thrice.
These two journalists are Myanmar citizens and were working for the international news agency Reuters. The two were investigating the murder case of 10 Rohingya in Inn Din village if northern Rakhine.
Myanmar officials or authorities arrested them even before the publication of the report. A police witness testified during the trial that the restaurant meeting was a set-up to entrap the journalists. The pair met this policeman first time at a restaurant.
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Authorities later launched their own probe into the Inn Din killings, confirming the massacre had taken place and promising to take action against those who had taken part.
Myanmar released the journalists along with thousands of other prisoners as part of mass amnesties. it usually takes place annually around Myanmar’s new year.
The Reuters reporters may now be free but Aung San Suu Kyi’s government wanted them jail for 18 months.
Also at that time, the authorities arrested more journalists and activists. It prompted serious concerns about the future direction of the country.
Wa Lone said he would never stop being a journalist.
In addition, Editor-in-Chief of Reuters said the reporters – who last month won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for their reporting – had become “symbols” of press freedom. He said, “We are enormously pleased Myanmar has released our courageous reporters.”
