Myanmar police ordered set up of Reuters journalists
Lone and Oo were detained in December after meeting police for dinner
YANGON: A Myanmar police chief ordered oficers to set up a Reuters reporter by handing over sensitive documents to him in a sting operation that also ensnared his colleague, a police oficial told a court Friday.
Reporters Wa Lone, 32 and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28 were detained in December after meeting police for dinner in Yangon and accused of violating the country’s Oficial Secrets Act for possessing material relating to operations in conlict-hit Rakhine state.
They were arrested while investigating a September 2 massacre of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine, but their report was published while they were behind bars.
Myanmar has been accused of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya after some 700,000 led to Bangladesh following a brutal military crackdown on insurgents in August.
The military has denied allegations that the armed forces committed widespread atrocities.
But it has admitted soldiers took part in a massacre of Rohingyas last September in Inn Din village, a murder spree that the Reuters reporters helped uncover. Seven soldiers were recently sentenced to 10-year prison terms for the killings.
Nonetheless the prosecution of the reporters has continued.
For months now a Yangon court has been hearing testimony to decide whether the Reuters journalists will go to trial even as global criticism of the case has rained down on Myanmar and prominent rights attorney Amal Clooney joined the legal team.
Deputy police major Moe Yan Naing said in his appearance Friday that he had been questioned about meeting Wa Lone in November and that his superior then set up a sting in which he told others to pass on sensitive security documents.
“Police Brigadier Tin Ko Ko asked Htauk Kyant (township) police members to arrest Wa Lone after Lance Corporal Naing Lin handed the documents to Wa Lone when they left,” he said, describing orders to “get” the reporter.
Kyaw Soe Oo accompanied Wa Lone to the restaurant meeting and was also arrested.
Yangon police oficials could not be reached for comment.
Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay said in response to questions about the testimony that the case is ongoing and a judge will decide.
Moe Yan Naing said he was angry that his name had been mentioned in the aftermath of the sting as someone who was under scrutiny.