Tuesday, May 30, 2023
manilastandard.net
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Others
    • Pets
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Technology
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • MS ON THE ROAD
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Others
    • Pets
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Technology
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • MS ON THE ROAD
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
manilastandard.net
No Result
View All Result
Home News World News

Myanmar frees two Reuters journalists

AFPbyAFP
May 7, 2019, 7:15 pm
in World News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Email

Yangon”•Two Reuters journalists jailed for their reporting on the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar walked out of prison on Tuesday, freed in a presidential amnesty after a vigorous global campaign for their release.

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were mobbed by media as they stepped out of Yangon’s notorious Insein prison after more than 16 months in detention.

Their December 2017 arrests made them an international cause celebre and a sign of Myanmar’s deteriorating press freedoms under Nobel laureate and civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Wa Lone, 33, thanked people from “around the world” for advocating for their release and vowed he would return to work.

“I can’t wait to go to my newsroom,” he said. “I am a journalist and I am going to continue.”

Reuters editor-in-chief Stephen Adler said: “We are enormously pleased that Myanmar has released our courageous reporters”.

“Since their arrests 511 days ago, they have become symbols of the importance of press freedom around the world. We welcome their return.”

They were freed in an amnesty that included more than 6,000 prisoners.

A government spokesman told reporters that family members had sent letters to Suu Kyi and the president Win Myint.

“After leaders took into consideration the long-term interest of [the] country, two Reuters journalists were released,” spokesman Zaw Htay said.

The two men waved and smiled broadly as they walked out of jail.

The pair were convicted on charges of violating the official secrets act and sentenced to seven years each.

At the time of their arrest, they had been reporting on a September 2017 massacre of 10 Rohingya Muslims in conflict-hit Rakhine state, where the Myanmar army forced some 740,000 of the stateless minority to flee over the border to Bangladesh.

The case prompted an outcry around the world and crushed what was left of Suu Kyi’s legacy as a rights defender.

Reuters has said the two were imprisoned in retaliation for their expose.

The army jailed seven soldiers for the massacre in a rare response to allegations of atrocities.

Military spokesman Zaw Min Tun said it had no comment on the release except that the case was “undertaken in line with the law”.

While inside, the duo missed numerous family milestones, including the birth of Wa Lone’s daughter.

Their families were overjoyed with the news.

“We are very happy,” Chit Su Win, who is married to Kyaw Soe Oo, told AFP. A reunion photo of both couples celebrating, smiling and holding each of their daughters was widely shared on Twitter.

During their imprisonment, the journalists were showered with numerous awards and honors in response to their work.

Last month, they won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize.

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were also featured earlier on the cover of TIME magazine as part of its person of the year coverage featuring journalists targeted for their reporting.

The case against them became a byword for the war against press freedom and prompted an international campaign that attracted the support of prominent rights lawyer Amal Clooney, who said Tuesday it had been an “honor to represent” her clients.

Rights groups and legal experts say the prosecution’s case was riddled with irregularities.

A whistle-blowing police officer testified during their trial that his superior had ordered his team to trap the reporters in a sting-testimony the judge chose to ignore.

The now-former officer Moe Yan Naing told AFP he was “delighted” the families were back together, and expressed interest in meeting the journalists if they wanted to.

Media advocates and rights organizations praised the release but slammed the original arrest and conviction.

“We congratulate Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo on walking free from unjust imprisonment and applaud they have now been reunited with their families,” said Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director, adding they should have “never been arrested” in the first place.

Suu Kyi led her National League for Democracy party to victory in historic 2015 polls, ending decades of military-backed rule.

But the dreams of a new day for Myanmar were short-lived”•the army launched a campaign against the Rohingya in Rakhine state, which UN investigators have said amounted to genocide.

Myanmar has denied the charges and said it was defending itself against Rohingya militants, who attacked and killed police officers in August 2017.

Tags: Aung San Suu KyiKyaw Soe OoMyanmarReuters journalistsRohingya minorityWa Lone
ADVERTISEMENT
AFP

AFP

Related Posts

Erdogan extends 2-decade Turkey rule

byAFP
May 29, 2023, 7:15 pm
0
8
Erdogan says Saudi Arabia wants armed Turkish drones

ISTANBUL —Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appealed for national unity Monday after winning a historic runoff election that extended two...

Read more

Ukraine repels huge Russian air strikes

byAFP
May 29, 2023, 7:10 pm
0
8
Southwoods nails Seniors’ Fil golf crown

KYIV—Kyiv repelled another large volley of overnight air strikes, officials said Monday, as the Ukrainian capital was still picking up...

Read more

Nokor tells Japan of ‘satellite launch’

byAFP
May 29, 2023, 7:05 pm
0
8
Southwoods nails Seniors’ Fil golf crown

TOKYO—North Korea has informed Japan that is preparing to launch a satellite as early as this week, Tokyo announced Monday...

Read more

Four dead after boat overturns on Italy’s Lake Maggiore

byAFP
May 29, 2023, 3:00 pm
0
8
Southwoods nails Seniors’ Fil golf crown

Rome, Italy - Four people died when a boat carrying tourists overturned on Lake Maggiore in strong winds, Italy's fire brigade...

Read more

No glory for bullies: South Korea’s school violence epidemic

byAFP
May 29, 2023, 2:00 pm
0
8
Southwoods nails Seniors’ Fil golf crown

Busan, South Korea - Pins hidden in her shoes, head forced down a toilet, kicked in the stomach: Korean hairdresser Pyo...

Read more

China to send first civilian into space on Tuesday

byAFP
May 29, 2023, 1:00 pm
0
8
Southwoods nails Seniors’ Fil golf crown

Jiuquan, China - China will send its first civilian astronaut into space as part of a crewed mission to the Tiangong space...

Read more

Print Edition

View More

Recent Posts

  • Unilab releases more potent cough medicine amid COVID resurgence
  • Moms prefer to splurge on care and healthy products over Mother’s Day feast — Packworks study
  • ROBINSONS BANK CORPORATION: Notice of Annual Stockholders’ Meeting
  • FIRST METRO PHILIPPINE EQUITY EXCHANGE TRADED FUND, INC.: Notice of Annual Shareholders’ Meeting
  • FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC.: Notice of Annual Shareholders’ Meeting
  • FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN F.O.C.C.U.S. DYNAMIC FUND, INC.: Notice of Annual Shareholders’ Meeting
  • FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN PHILIPPINE INDEX FUND, INC.: Notice of Annual Shareholders’ Meeting
  • FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN BALANCED FUND, INC.: Notice of Annual Shareholders’ Meeting

Advertisement

Latest News

FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN F.O.C.C.U.S. DYNAMIC FUND, INC.: Notice of Annual Shareholders’ Meeting

byManila Standard
May 30, 2023, 6:30 am
0
8
FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN F.O.C.C.U.S. DYNAMIC FUND, INC.: Notice of Annual Shareholders’ Meeting

Read more

FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN PHILIPPINE INDEX FUND, INC.: Notice of Annual Shareholders’ Meeting

byManila Standard
May 30, 2023, 6:25 am
0
8
FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN PHILIPPINE INDEX FUND, INC.: Notice of Annual Shareholders’ Meeting

Read more

FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN BALANCED FUND, INC.: Notice of Annual Shareholders’ Meeting

byManila Standard
May 30, 2023, 6:20 am
0
8
FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN BALANCED FUND, INC.: Notice of Annual Shareholders’ Meeting

Read more

FIRST METRO CONSUMER FUND, INC: Notice of Annual Shareholders’ Meeting

byManila Standard
May 30, 2023, 6:15 am
0
8
FIRST METRO CONSUMER FUND, INC: Notice of Annual Shareholders’ Meeting

Read more

FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN FIXED INCOME FUND, INC.: Notice of Annual Shareholders’ Meeting

byManila Standard
May 30, 2023, 6:10 am
0
8
FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN FIXED INCOME FUND, INC.: Notice of Annual Shareholders’ Meeting

Read more

Advertisement

ADVERTISEMENT
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube

ABOUT US

Manila Standard

Manila Standard website (manilastandard.net), launched in August 2002, extends the newspaper’s reach beyond its traditional readers and makes its brand of Philippine news and opinion available to a much wider and geographically diverse readership here and overseas.

Digital Edition

In tone and content, the online edition mirrors the editorial thrust of the newspaper. While hewing to the traditional precepts of fairness and objectivity, MS believes the news of the day need not be staid, overly long or dry. Stories are succinct, readable and written in a lively style that has become a hallmark of the newspaper.

Download – Today’s Paper

Search

No Result
View All Result

6th Floor Universal Re Bldg., 106 Paseo De Roxas cor. Perea Street, Legaspi Village, 1226 Makati City Philippines

Trunklines: 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Pop.Life
    • Newsmakers
    • Hangouts
    • A-Pop
    • Post Its
    • Performances
    • Malls & Bazaars
    • Hobbies & Collections
  • Technology
    • Gadgets
    • Computers
    • Business
    • Tech Plus
  • MS ON THE ROAD
    • Sedan
    • SUV
    • Truck
    • Bike
    • Accessories
    • Motoring Plus
    • Commuter’s Corner
  • Home & Design
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Construction
    • Interior
  • Spotlight
  • Gallery
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • Events
    • Seminars
    • Exhibits
    • Community
  • Biyahero
    • Travel Features
    • Travel Reels
    • Travel Logs
  • Pets
  • Advertise with Us

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Install Manila Standard Web App

Install App