US welcomes release of Reuters journalists in Myanmar

By Umar Farooq</p> <p>WASHINGTON (AA) – The U.S. on Tuesday welcomed Myanmar's decision to release two Reuters journalists who had been imprisoned for more than 500 days for investigating the deaths of Rohingya men.</p> <p>Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, who had been detained since December 2017, were each sentenced to seven years in prison last September for their alleged breach of a colonial-era law for investigating the killing of 10 men in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in 2017.</p> <p>&quot;The United States welcomes the decision in Burma to release @Reuters journalists Wa Lone &amp; Kyaw Soe Oo, freeing them to return to their families following over 500 days of imprisonment,&quot; Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a tweet. &quot;We hope to see the release of other imprisoned journalists and greater freedom of expression.&quot;</p> <p>Rohingya, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012.</p> <p>According to Amnesty International, more than 750,000 Rohingya refugees, mostly women and children, have fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after Myanmar forces launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community in August 2017.</p> <p>Since Aug. 25, 2017, nearly 24,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed by Myanmar’s state forces, according to a report by the Ontario International Development Agency (OIDA).</p> <p>The UN has also documented mass gang rapes, killings — including of infants and young children — and brutal beatings and disappearances committed by Myanmar state forces.</p> <p>In a report, UN investigators said such violations may have constituted crimes against humanity and genocidal intent.</p> <p>The two journalists were among 6,520 inmates released Tuesday under a third round of pardons by Myanmar President Win Myint to celebrate the traditional New Year which began April 17.</p> <p>&quot;I am very excited to reunite with family,&quot; Wa Lone told a crowd of reporters after his release.