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Burmese reporters in the Reuters news agency accused of "undermining state secrecy" for investigating a mbadacre of Rohingya Muslims by the powerful Burmese army were denied Monday a dismissal by the court , despite calls from the international community to release them.
The Burmese judge in charge of their case announced Monday that they have decided to open their trial "under the State Secrecy Act", in front of a crowded courtroom, relatives and many journalists including AFP
Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, are accused by the police of holding documents related to the operations of the security forces in the western part of the country, in Rakhine State, theater of the Rohingya drama, which is part of "ethnic cleansing" according to the UN
indicted for "breach of state secrecy", the two reporters are in pre-trial detention since December 2017, seven months.
14 years, at the end of the trial which will open on July 16, in this country where the military, in power for decades, continue to pull many strings despite the coming to power in 2016 of the civil government of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi
"We did not do anything wrong," Wa Lone indignantly told reporters after the judge's decision was issued.
"The court did not convict us. We have the right to defend ourselves, "added the young journalist, combative, ensuring" do not give up ", before returning to prison.
Seeming very weak, Kyaw Soe Oo, for its part, has nothing
Stephen J. Adler, editor-in-chief of Reuters, insisted in a statement that these journalists "were doing their job, independently and impartially" at the time of their investigation. throws serious doubt on Burma's commitment to freedom of the press and the rule of law "
– Soldiers sentenced after their investigation –
Two Burmese reporters were investigating a mbadacre in the village of Inn Dinn A few days after their arrest, the army admitted that Buddhist soldiers and villagers had killed Rohingya captives in cold blood on September 2, 2017. Seven soldiers were sentenced to ten years in prison for this mbadacre. 659012] "We revealed this case by investigating in accordance with journalistic ethics," defended Wa Lone on Monday.
Despite international pressure, with lawyer Amal Clooney, the wife of American actor George Clooney, joining the defense without traveling to Burma, justice has continued the prosecution.
The army and Buddhist militias are accused of ethnic cleansing of Rohingyas in western Burma by the United Nations, resulting in the exile in Bangladesh of more than 700,000 members of this minority.
The many preliminary hearings organized these money months have been marked by the turn of a police officer.
Moe Yan Naing, who was initially a prosecution witness, had indeed surprised April 20 explaining to the audience the trap that the police had extended to the reporters . The defense lawyers immediately praised his courage and the risks he took in testifying as well.
He was soon sentenced to one year in prison, officially for giving information to the journalists. The police denied any connection between the two events, claiming that it was a "coincidence."
Days after the arrest of the journalists, the army admitted that Buddhist soldiers and villagers had killed Rohingya captives cold September 2, 2017 in the village under investigation Reuters.
Since then, seven soldiers have been sentenced to ten years in prison for this mbadacre.
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