Video Jailed Myanmar reporters’ wives speak out
Category: WORLDS
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Myanmar’s jailed reporters and Suu Kyi’s silence
Image copyright EPA Image caption The verdict against Wa Lone (L) and Kyaw Soe Oo (R) has been widely condemned
The jailing of two Reuters reporters in Myanmar has left the journalism community asking whether their former rights champion has turned her back on a free press, writes the BBC’s Nick Beake in Yangon.
For the journalists of Yangon this is personal.
Many were close friends of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo. And many now feel one false move and they could be joining them in the notorious Insein prison here in Myanmar’s former capital.
“Insane” is how the jail is pronounced, and for many in the press, it reflects a chaotic legal farce which has played out over the past nine months – one that’s culminated in two young journalists being found to have been useful to “enemies of the state” and handed a seven year prison sentence.
Reuters journalists jailed over secrets act
Not that their wives regret their choice of careers. Not for one moment.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Aung San Suu Kyi has also been accused of ignoring violence against the Rohingya “I loved and respected her so much,” Pan Ei Mon said. “But she said our husbands were not reporters because they violated the nation’s secrets, and I am very devastated by that.”
Reporters held ‘for investigating killings’ What next for Myanmar after damning report? Seeing through the official story in Myanmar
Ms Suu Kyi used to champion the rights of journalists. She certainly benefited from their coverage of her long fight for democracy while she suffered years of house arrest.
When it was time for my own question to the wives, I asked what their message to Ms Suu Kyi would be – as someone who the Burmese authorities had also kept apart from the man she loved (her late British husband Michael Aris).
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Chit Su Win fights back tears as she hugs her daughter, Moe Thin Wai Zan Chit Su Win told me she’d rather address her mother to mother.
“My daughter asks me – doesn’t daddy love me anymore? Doesn’t daddy live with us anymore?”
“As a mother, I feel devastated. I tell her daddy is working. I try to be strong for my daughter. I feel very depressed, but I steel myself, because if I am depressed, who will care for my daughter?”
‘All of you are at risk’
As the mother of the nation, Ms Suu Kyi generated huge hope when her National League for Democracy (NLD) party triumphed in free elections in 2012, after five decades of brutal military rule.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption These are the men whose deaths the Reuters journalists were investigating One of the many painful ironies of this case is that the army later admitted its soldiers were culpable.
The military’s wider crackdown on what it called Bengali “terrorists” last autumn – following attacks on security posts – forced three quarters of a million Rohingya into neighbouring Bangladesh. They remain there in the sprawling and depressing camps of Cox’s Bazaar.
Who are the Rohingya? The story not being talked about in Myanmar
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption More than 700,000 Rohingya have fled violence in Myanmar in the last year Last week in a blistering assessment, UN inspectors said the top generals should stand trial for genocide and accused Ms Suu Kyi of failing to use her “moral authority” to stop the violence.
Myanmar rejects UN ‘genocide’ accusation Blow by blow: How a ‘genocide’ was investigated
Now Ms Suu Kyi’s accused of failing to stand up for reporters, as well as the Rohingya.
“All of you are at risk,” Khin Maung Zaw, the leading lawyer for the Reuters pair told the hushed room of journalists back at the press conference.
He declared the verdict a black day for Myanmar and a major setback for a free press and the country’s transition to democracy.
Image copyright EPA Image caption The 7Day Daily paper printed a black front page after the journalists verdict was announced Many wonder who will be next.
Aung Naing Soe is one Burmese journalist who knows what it’s like to feel the heat of the regime in the new Suu Kyi era. Earlier this year he served a two month sentence for operating a drone near the parliament in the capital, Naypyidaw.
Image caption Aung Naing Soe says the jailing of the Reuters journalist was “personal” “It’s really heartbreaking for us to come and cover this kind of event” he tells me.
“I do not want to see tears from the wives of these journalists anymore. We have covered a lot of heartbreaking things but this is more personal. They are my colleagues, my friends.”
Suu Kyi ‘should have resigned’ on Rohingya
He’s worried that the public has been poisoned against journalists by online campaigns which characterise them as “betrayers of the state” and that there will be no popular backlash against any further attacks on the freedom of the press.
In some countries, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo would have been given a prize for their investigative journalism. Not here. Not in Suu Kyi’s Myanmar.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Wa Lone (L) and Kyaw Soe Oo have continually maintained their innocence As state counsellor, a role she created for herself because the 2008 Constitution denies her the presidency, Ms Suu Kyi runs Myanmar’s NLD civilian government.
She has the power to issue a pardon and set these journalists free. If she’s even considering that, she certainly hasn’t shown it.
Su Myat Mon is a reporter who focuses on women’s rights and social affairs.
Image caption Su Myat Mon says being a journalist in today’s Myanmar does frighten her “I was extremely disappointed with the verdict and with the NLD too. They’re a democratic government. They used to believe the media was for something, that it did something positive for democracy.”
Is she scared to be a journalist in Myanmar now?
“It does make me frightened,” she replies.
“I can be arrested at any time if the government doesn’t like my reports. This verdict affects me: my emotions and the work I do.”
Would she consider giving up the job, I venture? Su Myat Mon looks at me straight in the eye:.
“I love this job. I may fear being arrested, but I still have my spirit. And, don’t forget, there’s nothing wrong with being a journalist. It is not a crime.”
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Aung San Suu Kyi defends verdict against Reuters journalists
Image copyright EPA
Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi has defended the jailing of two Reuters journalists, despite international condemnation.
She said Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo had broken the law and their conviction had “nothing to do with freedom of expression at all”.
The two were sentenced for possession of police documents while investigating the killing of Rohingya Muslims.
Ms Suu Kyi also said the army crackdown against the Rohingya could in hindsight have been handled differently.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate – who is not Myanmar’s elected president but is almost universally viewed as such – had been under intense pressure to comment on both the Rohingya crisis and more recently the journalists.
Image copyright EPA Image caption The verdict against Wa Lone (L) and Kyaw Soe Oo (R) has been widely condemned The Rohingya have faced decades of discrimination in Myanmar, which considers them to be illegal and problematic migrants from Bangladesh.
The latest crisis erupted when a brutal military crackdown was launched in response to a Rohingya militant group attacking several police posts.
Since last year, at least 700,000 Rohingya have fled violence Myanmar, also known as Burma.
In August, a UN report said top military figures in Myanmar must be investigated for genocide in Rakhine state and crimes against humanity in other areas.
The report describes the army’s response – including murder, torture, rape, sexual slavery, persecution and enslavement – as “grossly disproportionate to actual security threats”.
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California shootings: Six dead in Bakersfield
Six people have been killed in linked shootings in the city of Bakersfield in California, police say.
A man and his wife drove to a trucking business in the city, where the man shot dead two men and his wife.
The man then drove to another residence where he shot dead two more people.
After hijacking a vehicle with a woman and child in it, the man was then confronted by a deputy and shot himself dead. Police are still investigating the motives behind the killings.
Donny Youngblood of the Kern County Sheriff’s Department said deputies were called to the trucking business after reports of shots being fired at 17:20 local time (00:20 GMT) .
The deputies learned that the husband had confronted a man and then shot both him and his own wife. Another man then appeared at the scene and the husband shot at him, before pursuing him and shooting him dead.
The husband then drove to a residence on Breckenridge Road and shot dead two people.
After carjacking a vehicle, the woman and child inside managed to escape.
The man pulled over after a deputy confronted him with a firearm and then shot himself dead.
The Sheriff’s Department said the shootings took only a short period of time and were not random.
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Hurricane Florence: ‘Disaster’ still feared as storm’s winds weaken Ask a question
Although the maximum sustained winds have fallen, they are not expected to weaken further and the forward speed of the hurricane is also dropping, meaning it could linger near the coastline through to Saturday,
This means that torrential rainfall could last for significant periods and cause catastrophic flooding, including in inland areas such as Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said: “The time to prepare is almost over, Disaster is at the doorstep and it’s coming in.”
Up to 1.7 million people have been ordered to evacuate across South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.
Some 5.25 million people are under hurricane warning or watch, and another 4.9 million people are under storm warning or watch, Associated Press reported.
“I can’t emphasise enough the potential for unbelievable damage from wind, storm surge and inland flooding with this storm.”
Jeff Byard, of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said: “This is going to be a Mike Tyson punch to the Carolina coast.”
Reality Check: Are hurricanes getting worse?
Florence could wreak more than $170bn (£130bn) of havoc and damage nearly 759,000 homes and businesses, says analytics firm CoreLogic.
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Energy companies warned Florence could knock out power in some areas for weeks
Waves 83ft (25m) tall were recorded at sea on Wednesday morning.
European astronaut Alexander Gerst shared images of Florence’s eye wall from space, calling the storm a “no-kidding nightmare”.
Skip Twitter post by @Astro_AlexEver stared down the gaping eye of a category 4 hurricane? It’s chilling, even from space. #HurricaneFlorence #Horizons https://t.co/RdDmGgduou pic.twitter.com/2TlMghY4OL
— Alexander Gerst (@Astro_Alex) September 12, 2018
ReportEnd of Twitter post by @Astro_Alex
But while many coastal residents have complied with mandatory evacuation orders, others are boarding up their homes and vowing to ride out the storm.
Delicatessen owner in Wilmington, Brad Corpening, told Reuters he would stay, saying: “I’m not approaching Florence from fear or panic. It’s going to happen. We just need to figure out how to make it through.”
Image copyright AFP Image caption Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. Some are shuttering up, some are riding it out Restaurant owner in the town, Solange Iliou Thompson, told Agence France-Presse: “I’m staying. The building’s solid and Buddha will protect us.
“What can you do? You can’t stop Mother Nature.”
Hurricanes
A guide to the world’s deadliest storms
Hurricanes are violent storms that can bring devastation to coastal areas, threatening lives, homes and businesses.
Hurricanes develop from thunderstorms, fuelled by warm, moist air as they cross sub-tropical waters.
Warm air rises into the storm.
Air swirls in to fill the low pressure in the storm, sucking air in and upwards, reinforcing the low pressure.
The storm rotates due to the spin of the earth and energy from the warm ocean increases wind speeds as it builds.
When winds reach 119km/h (74mph), it is known as a hurricane – in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific – or a typhoon in the Western Pacific.
“Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face. Well, we’re about to get punched in the face.”
Florida Mayor Bob Buckhorn, ahead of Hurricane Irma (2017)
The central eye of calmer weather is surrounded by a wall of rainstorms.
This eyewall has the fastest winds below it and violent currents of air rising through it.
A mound of water piles up below the eye which is unleashed as the storm reaches land.
These storm surges can cause more damage from flooding than the winds.
“Urgent warning about the rapid rise of water on the SW FL coast with the passage of #Irma’s eye. MOVE AWAY FROM THE WATER!”
Tweet from the National Hurricane Center
The size of hurricanes is mainly measured by the Saffir-Simpson scale – other scales are used in Asia Pacific and Australia.
Winds 119-153km/h
Some minor flooding, little structural damage.
Storm surge +1.2m-1.5m
Winds 154-177km/h
Roofs and trees could be damaged.
Storm surge +1.8m-2.4m
Winds 178-208km/h
Houses suffer damage, severe flooding
Storm surge +2.7m-3.7m
Hurricane Sandy (2012) caused $71bn damage in the Caribbean and New York
Winds 209-251km/h
Some roofs destroyed and major structural damage to houses.
Storm surge +4m-5.5m
Hurricane Ike (2008) hit Caribbean islands and Louisiana and was blamed for at least 195 deaths
Winds 252km/h+
Serious damage to buildings, severe flooding further inland.
Storm surge +5.5m
Hurricane Irma (2017) caused devastation in Caribbean islands, leaving thousands homeless
“For everyone thinking they can ride this storm out, I have news for you: that will be one of the biggest mistakes you can make in your life.”
Mayor of New Orleans Ray Nagin ahead of Hurricane Gustav, 2008 
Are you in the area? How are you preparing for the hurricanes? Let us know by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
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Wedge-tailed eagle ‘mass poisoning’ prompts Australia arrest
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The wedge-tailed eagle is Australia’s largest bird of prey
A man has been charged following the deaths of at least 137 wedge-tailed eagles in Victoria, Australia.
Authorities found the animals – Australia’s largest bird of prey and a protected species – in April, prompting raids on several properties.
The man is alleged to have used poisoned baits to kill eagles since October 2016.
State officials described it as the largest case of suspected wedge-tailed eagle killings they had ever seen.
Authorities have previously said that the true number of dead birds may be even bigger.
Image copyright DELWP Image caption The birds were allegedly poisoned with bait The carcasses were found hidden in scrub on properties that covered about 2,000 hectares in East Gippsland, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning said.
Authorities said the man was charged after an investigation involving about 30 people. They did not discuss a possible motive.
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He was released on bail following his arrest on Tuesday, authorities said.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that wedge-tailed eagles had become a “a major topic of conversation” among farmers who say they attack lambs.
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Hands on with Apple’s new iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max
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Pussy Riot: The story so far
In less than three years, Pussy Riot has morphed from a little-known feminist protest band to an international cause celebre. As its two jailed members are freed from prison under an amnesty, the BBC News website recaps the group’s story so far.
Controversial performance
Pussy Riot was founded in 2011, but shot to greater prominence after appearing in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in February 2012, to perform an obscenity-laced song called Punk Prayer which attacked the Orthodox Church’s support for President Vladimir Putin.
Arrest
Several weeks after the cathedral stunt – which was was broken up by church officials – Maria Alyokhina, Yekaterina Samutsevich and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova were arrested and charged with “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred”.
They were held without bail until their trial in late July when they were convicted and sentenced to two years in prison. Samutsevich was freed on probation in October 2012, but Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina remained in jail.
Protest
The case divided Russia with many feeling the women were being too harshly treated and made examples of as part of attempts to clamp down on opposition to the government. But others felt their actions were a gross offence to the Orthodox faith.
Cause celebre
The trio’s fate attracted much international attention. Musicians like Sting, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Madonna and Yoko Ono called for their release, while human rights groups designated them prisoners of conscience. Pussy Riot’s distinctive coloured balaclavas became a widely-recognised symbol.
Prison regime
The women – both mothers of young children – faced tough conditions inside Russia’s prison system and had a number of parole requests turned down. Tolokonnikova (above left) complained of abuses by prison staff and went on hunger strike.
Amnesty
The pair’s sentences were due to end in March 2014, but their release became inevitable in December after an amnesty law was signed by the Russian parliament, covering at least 20,000 prisoners, including mothers.
Release
Mr Putin’s critics see the amnesty as a bid to avoid controversy overshadowing Russia’s hosting of the Winter Olympics in February. Maria Alyokhina – the first of the duo to be freed from jail – told a Russian TV channel that the amnesty was a PR stunt and she would rather have remained in prison.
Tolokonnikova, gesturing as she walked out of a prison hospital in Siberia, said that together with Alyokhina she would set up a human rights group to help prisoners.