“They were not jailed because they were journalists” but because “the court has decided that they had broken the Official Secrets Act”, she said. Suu Kyi, once garlanded as a global rights champion, has come under intense pressure to use her moral force inside Myanmar to defend the pair. Her comments drew an indignant response from rights groups who have urged the Nobel Laureate to press for a presidential pardon for the reporters. The International Criminal Court has said it has jurisdiction to open an investigation, even though Myanmar is not a member of the tribunal. Suu Kyi, who has bristled at foreign criticism of her country, on Thursday softened her defense of the crackdown against “terrorists” from the Muslim minority.

Source: Manila Times September 13, 2018 16:30 UTC