Journalists take part in a protest outside the court where Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo attend a hearing in Yangon, Myanmar January 10, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer/Files
January 10(Reuters) - The Myanmar government sought on Wednesday to charge two arrested Reuters journalists under its Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years, according to their lawyer.
Many nations, including the United States, Canada and several European countries, as well as top United Nations and EU officials have demanded the release of the reporters - Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27.
They were arrested on Dec. 12 after they had been invited to meet police officers over dinner. Family members have said the two told them they were arrested almost immediately after being handed some documents by the officers they had gone to meet.
The two had worked on Reuters coverage of a crisis in the western state of Rakhine, where - according to U.N. estimates - about 655,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from a fierce military crackdown on militants.
Myanmar's Ministry of Information has said the reporters "illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media".
Government spokesman Zaw Htay on Wednesday declined to comment on the charges but said the two had their rights under an independent judicial system.
"The judge will be decide whether they are guilty or not according to the law," he told Reuters
Reuters President and Editor-In-Chief Stephen J. Adler said he was extremely disappointed that the authorities were seeking to prosecute the pair.
"We view this as a wholly unwarranted, blatant attack on press freedom," he said in a statement on Wednesday. "Our colleagues should be allowed to return to their jobs reporting on events in Myanmar. We believe time is of the essence and we continue to call for Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo’s prompt release."
Here are the latest comments on their detention from governments, politicians, human rights groups, journalists and press freedom advocates around the world:
-- The first secretary of the EU mission in Myanmar, Andreas Magnusson, told reporters outside the courtroom, "We hope that these journalists will get a fair trial and a speedy trial that represents international practices."
-- Denmark's embassy in Myanmar called on Wednesday for the immediate release of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo.
"It is indeed very disappointing that an old draconian law from the colonial era is being used by a democratically elected government to suppress press freedom," it said in a statement.
-- Japan said it was concerned about the issue and that it could be raised when Foreign Minister Taro Kano visits Myanmar this week.
"The Japanese government has conveyed its concern about this matter to the government of Myanmar and going forward, wants to discuss and make appeals at appropriate opportunities, including Foreign Minister Kono's visit to Myanmar," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday.
-- Amnesty International demanded the immediate release of the two journalists, saying they had been arbitrarily detained.
"They have done absolutely nothing but carry out their legitimate work as journalists," said James Gomez, Amnesty International's Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, in a statement on Wednesday.
"This is clearly an attempt by the authorities to silence investigations into military violations and crimes against Rohingya in Rakhine State, and to scare other journalists away from doing the same."
-- Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for New York-based Human Rights Watch, said the case was a "throwback to the rights abusing practices" of the military.
"If Aung San Suu Kyi and her government really cared about democratic reforms and governance, they could use their parliamentary majority to quickly reform this antiquated colonial law and bring it into compliance with international human rights standards," he in an e-mail to Reuters on Wednesday.
-- Former U.S. President Bill Clinton called on Monday for the immediate release of the two journalists. "A free press is critical to a free society - the detention of journalists anywhere is unacceptable," Clinton said in a Twitter post.
-- The Committee to Protect Journalists has said Myanmar should cease all legal proceedings against the two Reuters journalists and release them from jail.
"The proceedings against Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are a transparent attempt to intimidate the media and to prevent coverage of the unfolding tragedy of the Rohingya people in Myanmar's Rakhine state," said Steven Butler, CPJ's Asia programme coordinator in a statement on Monday.
"The two reporters should not be in jail for trying to uncover the truth about this story of vital public interest."
-- Samantha Power, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, called the arrests "an outrage and a symptom of a world without credible U.S. leadership" in a Twitter post.
