Neena Gill, on behalf of the S&D Group. – Mr President, High Representative, other Members have already outlined the case of Myanmar journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment on 3 September for investigating and reporting on human rights violations in Rakhine State. Wa Lone had been writing in-depth stories on sensitive subjects including land grabs by the powerful military and the murder of prominent politician Ko Ni. It’s appalling that he’s not even able to see his new-born daughter. Kyaw Soe Oo worked on an investigative story about Myanmar’s plan to harvest the crops of Rohingya farmers who fled to Bangladesh. He also reported how some Buddhists were enforcing local-level segregation in central Rakhine. And it was only because of these brave journalists that the world got to know about the severe injustices and violations of human rights.

Collecting information, High Representative, is not a crime, therefore I am deeply disappointed by Aung San Suu Kyi, who has defended the court’s decision to jail Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo.

With this resolution, Parliament is not just urging the authorities in Myanmar to release immediately and unconditionally the two journalists, but also urging the High Representative and the Commission to ensure that wherever we have harassment of journalists we take action in terms of our trade agreements, and that we take action in this case. I think it’s important that in Myanmar we actually have a review of the archaic laws that facilitate these attacks. I hope, High Representative, that you will join us in this call: we do need to act now.