In news from Burma, the families of two imprisoned Reuters reporters have asked for a pardon. The reporters were detained in December while they were investigating the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys by security forces and local Buddhists in Burma’s Rakhine state. On Friday, supporters of the Reuters reporters held an event at the United Nations. Speakers included their attorney, Amal Clooney.
Amal Clooney: “This case is about much more than just two innocent men. I mean, if you care about press freedom, you care about this case, because it sets a precedent. So, if these people are locked up, then other people are too scared to do the kind of reporting that they do. … In too many countries around the world we’re seeing autocratic regimes lock up anyone who criticizes them, and use a whole host of laws to basically criminalize speech and quash dissent. And you have to fight it every single time that happens.”