Vincent Reid

Myanmar Says Court in Reuters Reporter Case was Independent

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-journalists/myanmar-says-court-in-reuters-reporters-case-was-independent-idUSKCN1LN1QI?il=0

              This article details the outcome of the recent guilty verdict in two Reuters reporters following a journalism piece containing information from classified documents acquired from insider sources.  The article detailed the recent atrocities committed by the Myanmar government against the Rohingya minority in the western part of the country that resulted in the deaths of thousands.  The outcome of the court case was investigated further by the Myanmar government with them ruling in the courts favor for the guilty verdict of the reporters.  This verdict comes at the behest of several international organizations that have denounced the lack of concern for freedom of the press.  

              I believe this article to be a surprisingly unbiased source, especially as the topic in question relates directly to the legal status of the source’s own reporters.  This ruling of a guilty verdict, I believe, shows a complete disregard for the freedom of the press and shows an appalling attempt by Myanmar to cover up their atrocities by silencing reporters.  It is a total shame that the families of those killed have had to flee their country but still find people attempting to deny their obvious plight.

             There is a clear connection to be made between this article and the court case of John Peter Zenger in New York during the colonial period there.  Both of the pieces released by the reporters were critical of the government in power and in both cases were the reporters taken to court based on what they published.  However, while Zenger’s case was a triumph for freedom of the press in the colonies, the trial and guilty verdict of the reporters shows a scary trend by Myanmar towards tightening of what the press can publish along with a denial of a clear attempted genocide of a people reminiscent to me of the denial in Serbia following the genocide committed in Bosnia.