Former President Bill Clinton condemned the detention of two Reuters journalists by the Myanmar government and said they should be freed at once.
“A free press is critical to a free society—the detention of journalists anywhere is unacceptable,” Clinton tweeted Monday. “The Reuters journalists being held in Myanmar should be released immediately.”
A free press is critical to a free society—the detention of journalists anywhere is unacceptable. The Reuters journalists being held in Myanmar should be released immediately.
— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) January 9, 2018
Last month, Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were arrested for reportedly obtaining “important secret papers” from police officers. They were accused of violating the colonial-era Official Secrets Act.
The reporters had covered the crisis in Rakhine, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have escaped into nearby Bangladesh following a military crackdown after police posts were attacked by Rohingya insurgents.
Both reporters are scheduled to appear before court for the second time on Wednesday. The prosecutor may request charges be filed against them.
