Statement from Stephen J. Adler, Editor-in-Chief, Reuters, on December 12, 2018, marking one year that Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo have been imprisoned in Myanmar
“A year ago, Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were arrested in a set-up by police, intended to interfere with their reporting on a massacre in Myanmar. The fact that they remain in prison for a crime they did not commit calls into question Myanmar’s commitment to democracy, freedom of expression and rule of law. Every day they continue to be behind bars is a missed opportunity for Myanmar to stand up for justice. The people of Myanmar deserve the freedoms and democracy they have long been promised, and Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo deserve to be returned to their families and colleagues immediately.”
The video statement can be found here .
Statement from Amal Clooney, Barrister and Counsel to Reuters, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo
“It has been a year since my clients, two courageous journalists, were falsely imprisoned for a crime they did not commit. For twelve long months, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo have been torn apart from their wives and baby daughters – simply because they reported the news. Earlier this week, Myanmar’s President, U Win Myint, said that ‘when there is no rule of law, democracy and human rights are lost’. I could not agree more. These journalists exposed mass murder and should be applauded for their public service, not imprisoned for it. Their future is in the government’s hands, and the world is watching.”
Media Contact:
Mansi dot Walia at thomsonreuters dot com
[Reuters PR Blog Post]