Burmese journalists and lawyers worry about imprisonment of Reuters journalists

Groups of Myanmar journalists and lawyers delivered a letter to the President of the Republic Friday expressing concern over the imprisonment of two Reuters journalists convicted of violating state secrets law .

The letter, delivered to President Win Myint at the inauguration of the Myanmar Semi-Official Press Council (MPC), highlighted the contradictions in the case concerning Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28. years, sentenced to seven years in prison. in September.

Their beliefs have raised questions about Myanmar's progress in democracy and raised an uproar among human rights defenders.

Myanmar de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi said in September that the case had nothing to do with freedom of expression. She also urged people to read the judgment in the case and to "report cases of miscarriage of justice".

The letter, signed by the Myanmar Journalist Network (MJN) and several other groups, including two law societies throughout the country, indicated that, since Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were professional journalists, their case should have been handled in accordance with the country's media law. , not the law on official secrets of the colonial era.

"The law on official secrecy has been prescribed in order to prevent spying. In modern times, this law is no longer appropriate and must be reviewed, "says the letter. "A seven-year sentence of imprisonment to each of the journalists forbids the media and the public's right to access information."

Government spokesman Zaw Htay said at his bi-weekly press conference on Friday that the government could not intervene in the case, as the Myanmar courts are independent. He confirmed that the President had received letters from members of the MPC, but had not discussed it.

The letter also stated that Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo had followed the facts on the ground to report on acts of great public interest, had shown a professional balance by seeking police comments to tell the story. both sides of the story and did not violate the Myanmar law media.

Before their arrest, the journalists were working on an investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys by security forces and Buddhist civilians in western Myanmar during a crackdown operation launched by the army last August. The operation sent more than 720,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh.

At the ceremony in the capital Naypyitaw, one of the new members of the MPC, Thar Lun Zaung Htet, also handed out women's letters from reporters and called on the president to re-examine the case.

In response to the letters, Win Myint said that he "should act in accordance with the law and that he would re-examine the case in accordance with judicial procedures," according to Thar Lun Zaung Htet.

Defense lawyers appealed this month to the High Court against the conviction.

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