On Monday, two journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who had been reporting on the Rohingya crisis, were sentenced to seven years in prison for violating the state secrets act of Myanmar. The conviction was condemned by the European Union, some other countries and international organizations.
The two journalists, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, had been detained in December after a meeting with the police officials. The journalists were reportedly given some papers allegedly linked to the security operations in the Rakhine state.
READ MORE: Press NGO Blasts Myanmar Ruling on Prison Terms for 2 Reuters Journalists
The tensions between Rohingya people and Myanmar authorities flared in August. The two journalists had been investigating the killing of Rohingya in the Inn Din village in September. The massacre was one among many episodes of persecution of the Muslim minority.