NewsGuild of New York Statement on Sentencing of Myanmar Journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe

09/03/2018

Earlier today Myanmar Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were found guilty and sentenced to seven years in prison for violating the nation’s colonial-era Official Secrets Act. This sentence is an act of cowardice and an apparent failure of an administration aspiring to institute democracy within Myanmar. To Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo: We stand with you and applaud your bravery and your commitment to a free press. We are among the countless organizations across the world demanding your freedom. Your plight and that of other journalists working in similarly repressive and dangerous environments illustrate the critical importance of a free press. Democracy depends on journalism, and journalism depends on the courage and ability of journalists to do their jobs. 

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