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For Immediate Release
April, 11 2018, 11:30am EDT
Contact:
AIUSA media office,Email:,media@aiusa.org,Phone: 202-544-0200 x302
Myanmar: Case Against Reuters Journalists Upheld as Media Restrictions Intensify
Responding to the decision by a Myanmar court to press forward with the criminal case against Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, James Gomez, Amnesty International's Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific said:
"This appalling but wholly unsurprising decision is entirely in keeping with Myanmar's continued regression on freedom of expression and human rights in general.
WASHINGTON
Responding to the decision by a Myanmar court to press forward with the criminal case against Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, James Gomez, Amnesty International's Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific said:
"This appalling but wholly unsurprising decision is entirely in keeping with Myanmar's continued regression on freedom of expression and human rights in general.
"The case against Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo is clearly politically-motivated and completely baseless. They are languishing behind bars simply because of their peaceful journalism and investigating the atrocities committed against the Rohingya people by Myanmar's own security forces in Rakhine State.
"The decision to press forward with this case sends a clear message to journalists operating in the country that certain topics remain off-limits, with dire consequences for those who dare address them, however peacefully. There has been an alarming erosion in press freedom in Myanmar where media workers continue to face threats, intimidation and even jail time simply for doing their jobs. This has to change. Press freedom, and freedom of expression in general, has to be protected and that must begin with the immediate and unconditional release of both men."
Background
Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were arrested in Yangon, Myanmar's main city on 12 December 2017. The two journalists had been investigating the recent military operations in Rakhine State at the time of their arrest. They were held incommunicado for two weeks. The pair are being investigated for breaching Myanmar's Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
This statement can be found online at https://www.amnestyusa.org/press-releases/myanmar-case-against-reuters-journalists-upheld-as-media-restrictions-intensify/
Amnesty International is a global movement of millions of people demanding human rights for all people - no matter who they are or where they are. We are the world's largest grassroots human rights organization.
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Gabbard was deployed to Kuwait and Iraq as a member of the Hawaii Army National Guard. She represented the state as a Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2021. During the 2020 cycle, Gabbard launched a longshot presidential bid but ultimately backed President Joe Biden. The "dark horse" ditched the Democratic Party in 2022 and, as Politicoput it, "became a fixture in conservative media." After endorsing Trump in August, she hit the campaign trail.
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Political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen called her forthcoming nomination "a coup for the Kremlin."
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Economics reporter Joseph Zeballos-Roig wrote on social media Wednesday that "Trump nominating Gaetz, Gabbard, and Hegseth in a 24-hour period for key government posts suggests he doesn't see limits for what a GOP Senate will swallow."
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Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) declared that "Matt Gaetz is unconfirmable, he is the canary in the recess appointment coal mine."
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Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, similarly warned in a Wednesday statement that the graduate of William & Mary Law School "would lead a vengeful, authoritarian, and lawless Department of Justice."
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On January 6, 2021, Gaetz "supported efforts to overturn the 2020 election and has since continued to shield those who attempted to subvert our democratic processes," Kase Solomón said. "His anti-voter agenda includes pushing legislation that would strip eligible voters from the rolls, even threatening government shutdowns to enforce voter suppression. Beyond that, his rhetoric and actions reveal a troubling history of encouraging violence against racial justice protesters and promoting dangerous white supremacist ideologies. This is not a candidate who values equality, justice, or the rights of all Americans."
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced that Gaetz resigned from Congress Wednesday evening, allegedly due to concerns over accumulating too many absences. AP 's Farnoush Amiri reported that "the House Ethics Committee's ongoing probe into allegations of child sex trafficking ends as does his tenure, and no report will be issued."
In addition to Gaetz, Gabbard, Hegseth, and Rubio, Trump has chosen GOP South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem for homeland security secretary, former Congressman John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) for Central Intelligence Agency director, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) for United Nations ambassador, and ex-Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) for Environmental Protection Agency administrator.
Trump has also selected multiple people whose posts don't require Senate confirmation: former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan for "border czar," first-term adviser Stephen Miller for deputy chief of staff for policy, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) for national security adviser, and longtime GOP strategist Susie Wiles for White House chief of staff.
The president-elect further announced Tuesday that billionaire campaign surrogates Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the yet-to-be-created Department of Government Efficiency to gut regulations and federal agencies.
Meanwhile, to track and challenge the incoming administration's attacks, the watchdog Accountable.US on Wednesday announced the Trump Accountability War Room and two Democrats launched Governors Safeguarding Democracy.
This post has been updated to include Rep. Matt Gaetz's resignation from Congress.
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