# Myanmar sentences two Reuters journalists to seven years under the Official Secrets Act for reporting on a massacre

Published 2026-09-22. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 2 sources.

Status: historical, as of 2026-09-22.

A Myanmar court sentenced Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo to seven years under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act after police handed them classified documents at a dinner shortly before their arrest, while they were investigating the killing of Rohingya Muslim villagers.[1][2][3][4]

- Country: [Myanmar](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/mm) (RSF 2026 rank: 166th of 180)
- Where: MM
- Level of government: National
- Tactics: Secrets and espionage laws, Detention and violence
- Stage: Eliminate (ladder: https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/secrets_and_espionage_laws#stage-eliminate)
- Ladder note: Both reporters were pardoned in May 2019 after 511 days in prison.
- Head of government at the time: [Aung San Suu Kyi](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/aung-san-suu-kyi)
- Issue of the day: The Reuters investigation into the killing of ten Rohingya Muslim men and boys by Myanmar soldiers and local residents in Inn Din village, Rakhine State, in September 2017.
- Outcome: Reversed, May 7, 2019. President Win Myint pardoned and released Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo on May 7, 2019, after 511 days in prison, as part of a mass amnesty.
- Era: The 2010s

## What happened

Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were investigating the killing of ten Rohingya Muslim men and boys by soldiers and villagers in Rakhine State when police, in December 2017, invited them to dinner and handed them rolled-up documents just before officers arrested them for possessing the papers. Prosecutors charged them under Myanmar's Official Secrets Act, a colonial-era law against handling state documents without authorization. On September 3, 2018, a judge convicted and sentenced both men to seven years in prison. Reuters editor-in-chief Stephen Adler called it "a sad day for Myanmar, Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, and the press everywhere." Human Rights Watch's Brad Adams said, "7 years for reporting the truth is what we expect from dictatorships," and Britain's ambassador said the case "struck a hammer blow to the rule of law." Aung San Suu Kyi's government, in which she held the position of State Counsellor, a de facto head-of-government role created for her since the constitution barred her from the presidency, did not intervene.[1][2][3][4]

## What reason was given

Prosecutors charged the two reporters under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act for possessing documents a police officer had handed them at a dinner shortly before their arrest, a setup the reporters' defense argued at trial.[1][2][3][4]

## What changed for reporting

Two working journalists received seven-year prison sentences for reporting on a documented mass killing; Human Rights Watch's Brad Adams said, "7 years for reporting the truth is what we expect from dictatorships," and the case drew wide international condemnation.[2][3]

## Timeline

- 2018-09-03: Myanmar sentences two Reuters journalists to seven years under the Official Secrets Act for reporting on a massacre

## Who acted

| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Aung San Suu Kyi](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/aung-san-suu-kyi) | other | State Counsellor of Myanmar |
| [Kyaw Soe Oo](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/kyaw-soe-oo) | other | Reporter, Reuters |
| [Wa Lone](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/wa-lone) | other | Reporter, Reuters |

## Outlets and journalists

| Name | Kind | Relation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Reuters](https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/reuters) | outlet | affected |

## Sources

1. Reuters Journalists In Myanmar Convicted, Sentenced To 7 Years. https://www.npr.org/2018/09/03/644247839/reuters-journalists-convicted-sentenced-to-7-years-in-myanmar (NPR, 2018-09-03).
2. Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo freed by pardon in Myanmar. https://cpj.org/2019/05/reuters-wa-lone-kyaw-soe-oo-freed-myanmar-pardon/ (Committee to Protect Journalists, 2019-05-07).

## Claims cited

[1] Reuters' editor-in-chief called the sentencing a sad day for the two journalists and the press everywhere. Quote: "Today is a sad day for Myanmar, Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, and the press everywhere." Source: NPR, 2018-09-03. Reuters Journalists In Myanmar Convicted, Sentenced To 7 Years. https://www.npr.org/2018/09/03/644247839/reuters-journalists-convicted-sentenced-to-7-years-in-myanmar Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/297, checked 2026-09-22.

[2] Human Rights Watch said a seven-year sentence for reporting the truth was what one would expect from dictatorships. Quote: "7 years for reporting the truth is what we expect from dictatorships." Source: NPR, 2018-09-03. Reuters Journalists In Myanmar Convicted, Sentenced To 7 Years. https://www.npr.org/2018/09/03/644247839/reuters-journalists-convicted-sentenced-to-7-years-in-myanmar Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/298, checked 2026-09-22.

[3] Reuters said the flaws in the case raised concerns about rule of law and judicial independence in Myanmar. Quote: "The clear flaws in this case raise serious concerns about rule of law and judicial independence in Myanmar." Source: NPR, 2018-09-03. Reuters Journalists In Myanmar Convicted, Sentenced To 7 Years. https://www.npr.org/2018/09/03/644247839/reuters-journalists-convicted-sentenced-to-7-years-in-myanmar Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/299, checked 2026-09-22.

[4] CPJ said it was relieved the two Reuters journalists were finally freed and should never have been jailed. Quote: "CPJ is deeply relieved that Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo have finally been freed, and reiterates that Myanmar should never have charged and jailed them in the first place." Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2019-05-07. Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo freed by pardon in Myanmar. https://cpj.org/2019/05/reuters-wa-lone-kyaw-soe-oo-freed-myanmar-pardon/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/300, checked 2026-09-22.

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2018-myanmar-reuters-journalists-official-secrets-act. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.