Detained Reuters journalist Kyaw Soe Oo is escorted by police while leaving Insein court in Yangon, Myanmar on July 9, 2018. (Reuters/Ann Wang)
Detained Reuters journalist Kyaw Soe Oo is escorted by police while leaving Insein court in Yangon, Myanmar on July 9, 2018. (Reuters/Ann Wang)

Myanmar court charges Reuters reporters under official secrets act

Bangkok, July 9, 2018 – A Myanmar court charged today two Reuters reporters, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, under the Official Secrets Act, the news agency reported. The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly condemned the criminal charges and called on authorities to drop the landmark case, which has major press freedom implications.

“This is a sad day for Myanmar’s fledging democracy,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative. “This outrageous ruling affirms that politics rather than the law or evidence are what matters in this case. The only way to reverse the damage is to release Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo immediately.”