Myanmar journalists whereabouts unknown

Two Reuters journalists arrested a week ago still have not been heard from, and their exact whereabouts remain unknown.

The whereabouts of two Myanmar journalists is still unknown a week after they were arrested under a colonial-era law that criminalises actions deemed harmful to the country, according to their employer Reuters.

"We and their families continue to be denied access to them or to the most basic information about their well-being," Reuters president and editor-in-chief Stephen J. Adler said in a statement.

The arrest of two Reuters journalists in Myanmar's commercial hub, Yangon, last week under the 1923 Official Secrets Act, which criminalises actions "prejudicial to the safety or interests of the state," was approved by the President's Office.

Government spokesman Zaw Htay said the case had been endorsed by Myanmar's president but that he could not say who signed the relevant documents.

The two journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, face a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.


Share

1 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world