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A Myanmar court on Monday charged two Reuters journalists for obtaining secret state documents, moving the case to trial stage after six months of preliminary hearings. The press freedom case has made international headlines as a potential path of progress for the democratic country where the army still holds a lot of power.
Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, were arrested last December from 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys in Rakhine State in the west of the country. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar since the start of the genocidal killings last year
Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were invited to a restaurant by police officers in Yangon, where they reportedly handed over documents to Myanmar's armed forces. . The journalists, who were almost immediately arrested by the police, have been imprisoned since the incident. Their attorneys claim that they were trapped by the police, broke no laws and simply did their job.
The court accused the two of violating the law on official secrets of the colonial era, punishable by 14 years in prison, reports Reuters. They are accused of obtaining state secrets for the purpose of harming national security. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo pleaded not guilty.
"Although we are charged, we are not guilty," Wa Lone told reporters after Monday's trial. Handcuffed, led to a police car, he added, "We will not back down, give up, or be shaken by it."
Stephen J. Alder, president and editor-in-chief of Reuters, said in a statement that he is "deeply disappointed" by the "unfounded" judicial process.
"These Reuters journalists were doing their job independently and impartially, and there are no facts or evidence to suggest that they did anything wrong or broke any laws." , he said. "Today's decision casts serious doubt on Myanmar's commitment to freedom of the press and the rule of law. "
Reuters reports that diplomats in Yangon have ruled against the court's decision.The EU said the court's ruling" threatens fundamental freedoms, media freedom and the public's right to privacy. " 39, information in Myanmar. "
All asked that the case be dropped and that journalists be sent back to their families.
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