Politically motivated trial, especially where government and military in the case of Myanmar are determined to teach the media a lesson or cowed the reporters into self-censorship, outcome cannot be fair.

With home ministry firmly in the hands of the military and the judges having to or wiling to obey their employer, there is little chance the Reuters’ newsmen will be given a fair trial.

A glimpse of hope for leniency for the detained journalists will only come, if the government-military regime will try to show that it is conducting the trial according to international norm, so that the international condemnation and pressure would lessen, to receive more cooperation from the UN regarding the repatriation of Rohingya problematic. In other words, to use the handling of the newsmen trial as a bargaining chip to the government’s advantage.

Link to Story : Yangon court rejects motion to dismiss Reuters case