US Envoy to UN Demands Immediate Jailed in Myanmar Reuters Journalists Release

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – The United States continues to demand immediate release of journalists of the Reuters news agency sentenced to seven years in jail in Myanmar, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said.

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.

“It is clear to all that the Burmese military has committed vast atrocities. In a free country, it is the duty of a responsible press to keep people informed and hold leaders accountable. The conviction of two journalists for doing their job is another terrible stain on the Burmese government. We will continue to call for their immediate and unconditional release,” Haley said in a statement posted on her Twitter page on Monday.

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.