Myanmar charges Reuters reporters with illegally obtaining state secrets
Yangon, July 9 : A Myanmar court on Monday charged two Reuters reporters with breaching a colonial-era law and illegally obtaining state secrets, according to the news agency.
The court approved the plea of the prosecutors to press charges against journalists Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, who pleaded not guilty, reports Efe news.
Speaking outside the court in Yangon to members of the media, Wa Lone said: "We just (do) investigative reporting about violation of human rights and corruption in Rakhine state, according to our journalism ethic. We will continue this and face the court. We write from the all different angles. If the police perpetrated injustice, we have to investigated and write."
Dozens of people were outside the court including foreign embassy representatives and the wives of the two journalists.
The court had dismissed the reporters' pleas and the pair could be sentenced to up to 14 years in jail under the Official Secrets Act.
The decision comes after a witness testified during a preliminary hearing that the two journalists were trapped by security forces, who promised the journalists access to confidential documents about a controversial army offensive in the Rakhine state.
The two reporters were working on an investigative article on the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys in a village in Rakhine.
The killings were part of a military operation Myanmar launched last year against the Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority in Myanmar, following a series of attacks by Rohingya rebels on government posts in the region.
The offensive has led to the exodus of 700,000 Rohingya to neighbouring Bangladesh, where they have been living in overcrowded camps.
According to Doctors Without Borders, at least 6,700 Rohingyas were killed during the offensive.
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7 held in election-related violence in Assam: Police
Guwahati, Apr 9 (PTI) Seven people were held in connection with election-related violence at two places in Assam, officials said on Thursday.
Besides, minor clashes also erupted at several polling booths after voting began in the morning, with people suffering minor injuries, they said.
Inspector General of Police (Law and Order), Akhilesh Kumar Singh, told PTI that violence took place in Tamulpur and Sivasagar on Wednesday night, hours before polling began for the assembly elections at 7 am.
"We got reports of a clash between two groups at Tamulpur last night. Police reached the spot immediately and tried to control the crowd. When they did not listen, a few rounds were fired in the air to disperse the mob," he said, adding that four people were arrested from the site.
In another incident, two to three members of a political party were attacked in Sivasagar, the IG said.
"We have detained three persons there. The investigation is going on," he said.
Akhil Gogoi, who is seeking re-election from the Sibsagar seat, alleged that BJP nominee Kushal Dowari was behind the incident.
In a series of social media posts, Gogoi claimed two people were injured, and their vehicles were also damaged in the attack.
Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Chief Executive Member Hagrama Mohilary said a detailed enquiry will reveal the cause of the clash in Tamulpur.
"The situation is normal now. We are monitoring it, and there is enough security presence to avoid any untoward incident," he said.
Polling is underway for the 126-member assembly to decide the electoral fate of 722 candidates. It will continue till 5 pm, with May 4 scheduled for the counting of votes.
A number of minor clashes have erupted at several polling stations in Sribhumi, Golaghat and Nagaon districts.
"Most of the clashes took place due to heavy rush, with people fighting over breaking the queue," an official said.
At some polling booths in places like Patharkandi, Merapani and Raha, supporters of ruling and opposition parties clashed, he said.
"However, police were already present in those areas, and the situations were handled instantly. The polling is going on uninterrupted," he added.
The BJP-led NDA is seeking a third consecutive term in power in these elections, while the Congress is looking to reclaim the state it lost a decade ago.
