At the UN Trusteeship Chamber, where @PressFreedom's Joel Simon is introducing an #UNGA side event involving Amal Clooney.
It begins with a short video about the jailing of two Reuters journalists: Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who discovered and investigated a Rohingya massacre.
It begins with a short video about the jailing of two Reuters journalists: Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who discovered and investigated a Rohingya massacre.
Before the video rolled, Simon said of incarcerating journalists: "There has been one issue around which it has been difficult to engage with the UN," because, he said: "The UN has a culture of rarely calling out its members."
Reuters president and editor-in-chief Stephen Adler takes the podium: He notes that the UN has called the treatment of the Rohingya "ethnic cleansing."
"We know about the massacre because Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo entered into Myanmar with open minds," Adler said, adding that the reporters ended up with "facts."
"Intimidation was severe," Adler says.
"Intimidation was severe," Adler says.
Amal Clooney is now up: "Good morning everyone."
"As we gather here today, two men are locked up in Myanmar for only doing their jobs," Clooney said.
She slams the "fabricated" and "totally implausible" story against the two reporters.
"As we gather here today, two men are locked up in Myanmar for only doing their jobs," Clooney said.
She slams the "fabricated" and "totally implausible" story against the two reporters.
The Myanmar government claims that officers found top secret docs, coincidentally, as the journalists were working on their story.
"Of course, what really happened is that officials found out about the story and didn't want it to come out," Clooney said.
"Of course, what really happened is that officials found out about the story and didn't want it to come out," Clooney said.
Senior officer gave "explosive testimony" confirming plot to plant the documents, and he was prosecuted for telling the truth, Clooney said.
Journalists were held incommunicado, hooded, forced to kneel and sign inculpatory statements against their will, she notes.
"So, what can now be done?" she asked.
She notes that the president can give a pardon at any time. The journalists' families have filed a pardon request.
"So, what can now be done?" she asked.
She notes that the president can give a pardon at any time. The journalists' families have filed a pardon request.
"The government can, if it wants to, end it today," Clooney said, adding that she directs her speech today to Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel laureate and politician.
"Aung San Suu Kyi knows better than anyone what it's like to be a political prisoner in Myanmar," Clooney notes.
"Aung San Suu Kyi knows better than anyone what it's like to be a political prisoner in Myanmar," Clooney notes.
"Now, she holds the key," she said, referring to Aung San Suu Kyi.
CPJ's Simon back up, and he's talking about Egypt's 5-year imprisonment of Mahmoud Abu Zeid (widely known as Shawkan).
"Part of the problem," Simon says, is that the UN and other bodies follow protocol and decline to name names.
"Part of the problem," Simon says, is that the UN and other bodies follow protocol and decline to name names.
Last speaker was permanent rep from Germany, where he notes that Turkish President Erdogan is visiting. He says Germany spoke out to him about Turkey's role as the world's leading jailer of reporters.
"We have many Turkish journalists in Germany who had to flee there," he said.
"We have many Turkish journalists in Germany who had to flee there," he said.
Background: A story on one such German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yücel courthousenews.com/turkey-6-journ…
CPJ opens up questions to the floor.
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